The Nxt Break-out Star
by DominaIracundus
Summary: Hardcore Tony is a new break-out star from NXT, but when his arch nemesis, Alex Riley began to make his life difficult, he decided it was time for a change. He had an ally whom he knew would make a difference for him. His sister, Jackie, had just the perfect stable he needed to watch his back. Find out what happens when he vies for a position with in the Nexus.


**The **N**xt Break-Out Star**

By: Jackie Buckley (2010)

Starring:

**Anthony Buckley as Hardcore Tony**

**Jaclyn Buckley as Diva Jackie**

and

**The ****N****exus**

This story is dedicated to my brother, Tony. I hope you enjoy it. Merry Christmas!

As the work night was drawing to a close, Anthony felt a great sense of relief. The WWE Monday night spectacular, Raw, was currently having their main event, and he had managed to get through almost the whole show without running into a certain wrestler who had been bullying him since he joined the organization. Alex Riley, the Varsity pro-wrestler, made it a ritual to harass him every week. Tony didn't know

why Riley had chosen to pick on him, of all people, but the guy never missed a week without doing something mean to him. To Riley, Tony was the proverbial "Freshie" in high school and loved to embarrass him in the locker room or in the ring. Tony felt lucky that he'd made it through the night without getting his head dunked into a toilet bowl or getting his face DDTed into a steel folding chair. He was feeling a bit chipper as he headed toward the dressing room that he shared with several other rookies and jobbers. He couldn't wait to change out of his wrestling gear and get out of the arena. The longer he stuck around, the more of a risk he would bump into Riley.

There were a number of locker mates in the dressing room when Tony got there. He nodded a greeting at them, a group of Evan Bourne, Santino Morella, William Regal, among others as he stepped over to his locker. The wrestlers around him were chattering amiably amongst each other about the night's matches and events, and Tony felt normal for once. This is the way it should be, thought Tony as he sat down on the bench in front of his locker so he could begin unlacing his boots. He had one boot completely unlaced, but before he could even tug it off, the door to the locker room was kicked open with a bang. Tony winced as he heard the door crash loudly against the wall behind it as it swung all the way open. He shrunk back in fear as Alex Riley, wearing his blue and yellow Varsity sweater, stepped into the room and marched straight toward him.

"There you are, Rook!" Riley replied with an evil grin as he quickly closed the distance between them. Tony tried to step back, but Alex was upon him before he could react. He had his arm hooked around his neck and was giving him a noogie, laughing as he did so. "Why are you doing this to me?" asked Tony, trying not to cry in front of his co-workers. This embarrassment was bad enough. "Why are you doing this to me?" Alex mocked in a sissy voice, laughing some more as he stuffed Tony into his locker. "Why don't you just leave him alone?" Santino defended, feeling bad for the smaller wrestler. "Why don't you mind your own bees wax?" Alex retorted, lunging at Santino with a fake-out punch and Tony's only defender shrunk away in surrender. "See ya later, Bony Tony!" laughed Riley as he turned to stalk out of the room.

Santino and Evan helped Tony out of his locker, and everyone kept quiet while they changed into their street clothes, giving the little guy his space. It was difficult for Tony to control his emotions as he gathered his change of clothes, a towel and a bar of soap, then walked to the showers. He had always thought it would be cool and fun to be a wrestler in the WWE, but the charm of it all had been hampered by the constant tormenting by Alex Riley. As Tony scrubbed himself in the shower, he decided that he was tired of it at last. He wanted to enjoy all the benefits of his job and was sick of not being able to walk through the locker rooms without fear. It was time he did something about it. He knew exactly who he needed to call for help. His older sister, Jackie, has been in the WWE for a few years already and would know what to do. But that wasn't the main reason why he was going to call her. Jackie had just the right friends that Tony needed.

The moon was shining through the open-curtained window at the hotel room where Jackie was spending the night. The faint white beam was casting an enticing glow on the bulging contours of muscle on the man who was sharing her bed with her tonight. She loved the way it illuminated his shoulders and arms, and made his bright red hair seem to glimmer in the dark. She had met Heath a few months ago when he had entered in a rookie break-out star contest in which the WWE had debuted in February. She thought he was the cutest guy she'd ever seen, and she had always liked redheads. He was just too irresistible _not_ to approach. They had been seeing each other ever since.

Tonight is Monday night, and like every Monday night, they shared a hotel room after the wrestling show. They had only moments ago finished making love, and Heath was adoringly dropping lazy kisses down the front of Jackie's slick, naked body when suddenly there was the sound of a cellular phone ringing. They both were still panting from exertion, reeling from climax, and sizzling from sex, so the ringing was unwelcome at the moment. Jackie groaned weakly, seeming to sink into the pillow. "Damn! I forgot to turn that off!" she rebuked with a sigh, recognizing her ring tone as the Nexus' entrance theme chimed in the dark. "Just relax, sugar. I'll get it." Heath drawled, still feeling a little woozy himself as he reached for the phone that was jingling on the nightstand by the bed. Jackie knew he shouldn't be answering her phone, but she was too staggered to think at this moment and was slow to react.

"Hello?" answered Heath before she could stop him. "Hey! Who is this?" asked the caller in obvious surprise. The question alerted Heath and he was a little more clearheaded as he responded. "You called me. Who's this?" asked Heath, frowning suspiciously. Jackie was curious as to who would be calling her at eleven o'clock at night and held out her hand. "Let me have it." she requested softly, but the caller was still speaking. "I didn't call you! I'm trying to contact my sister, Jackie. Would ya put her on the phone, please? Tell her it's Tony." This Tony sounded like he could be in trouble, and Heath didn't want to interfere if this guy really is Jackie's brother. "Hold on a minute." he said, and held the phone away from his face. "It's some kid calling. You got a brother named Tony?" he asked her. Jackie rolled her eyes in exasperation, indicating that she indeed has a brother named Tony, and Heath handed her the phone.

While Tony was put on hold, he tried to gather up his wits. He hadn't expected some guy to answer his sister's phone and it caught him off guard. He didn't even know she was involved with someone currently. He was surprised to say the least. He was a little shaken and started to feel bad for disrupting her this late at night, but he was desperate. He couldn't wait another day. Finally, his sister's voice broke onto the phone. She sounded cranky.

"Tony, this is not the best time to be calling me!" Jackie griped as a greeting. "It never is a best time to call you, Jack. You're always busy, but I called to ask you a favor. I need-" Tony began to say, but Jackie cut him off before he could say more. "What! You're bothering me with this _now_? Why, it's money you want, isn't it?" she said with annoyance, knowing that would be the only reason why a male would be calling for a favor. Tony was annoyed that Jackie would assume that. It was like she didn't even know him anymore. It seemed like her precious career and her stupid wrestling peers were more important to her than family. Tony didn't mean to snap back, but he was too upset not to. "You didn't even give me the chance to explain! How would you know what's been going on in my life? You haven't talked to me in like two months! That's bullshit 'cuz we both work at Monday Night Raw every week!" Tony retorted angrily. "You act like you don't even know me when I see you at the arenas. You claim to be too busy with the Nexus, but I thought it was a different kind of busy. I didn't know you were screwing Heath Slater! Does Wade Barrett approve of that? Does he even _know_?" Tony added with frustration.

As Tony raved in her one ear, Jackie began to tone him out and close her eyes with pleasure. Heath had started tickling the inside of her other ear with his nose, and as she felt a teasing flicker of lips and tongue, it was easy for her to drift away. In addition to the kisses on her ear, he was also molding her left breast with his hand and it was feeling pretty nice. However when she heard Tony's last sentences, her eyes shot back open in awareness. "It doesn't matter. He's got nothing to do with this. Wade Barrett's not the boss of me!" Jackie argued irritably, upset that her brother was spoiling such a lovely night. She was almost about to hang the phone up. "Oh really? He sure looks like the boss. You do everything he tells you to do, every time. I wonder if you would stay away from Slater if Barrett _ordered_ you to." Tony mocked, imitating Barrett's dominant leadership with a poor English accent.

"Are you threatening me? I can't believe this! You see, this is why I avoid you at the shows. Can you blame me if I'd rather hang out with my friends? At least they don't call me in the middle of the night just to argue with me, like you!" Jackie snapped furiously. Her mood changed the atmosphere in the room and Heath couldn't enjoy what he was doing to her at present. He lifted his head up from the kisses he was planting in the cleavage on her chest and suggested, "Just hang up, sweetheart. Can't you see we've got better things to do right now?"

Tony faintly heard Heath's proposal over the phone and his stomach sank. He didn't want Jackie to hang up on him. He didn't mean to start an argument, he was just frustrated. He needed to say something quick to keep her on the line. "No, wait! I'm sorry, Jack! Please, I need your help. I'm desperate!" he blurted out, hoping that would be enough of an apology to soften her up. It was quiet on the other line long enough for Tony to suspect she might have already hung up, but suddenly he heard her voice. Jackie sounded a little more friendly this time as she spoke. "Alright, Tony, I'm sorry too. I don't mean to ignore you when we're doing shows, but I've got a reputation to maintain. Listen, I know you've heard this before, but I'm busy right now. Can I call you in the morning?"

Tony didn't know whether to believe her or not. It sounded like all the other excuses she's made and promises she's broken. It hurt him a little that Heath Slater was more important to her than her own brother, but he guessed he could understand her feelings. This moment really _wasn't_ a good time to be asking her a favor, especially after all he'd just said to her. He realized his only option right now was to accept her request. "For reals?" Tony checked, wanting reassurance before he hung up. "Cross my heart and hope to die." Jackie promised, easing his mind. He smiled to himself, feeling a little better, and said, "Okay. Thanks, sis. Have a good night." Jackie grinned at Heath, knowing she would have a good night starting as soon as she hangs up the phone. "Night, bro." she answered, and then they both hung up.

Morning seemed to drag on forever, and Tony had been sitting up in the dark even before dawn approached. He had been staring at old reruns of the Andy Griffith Show, Leave It To Beaver, and I Dream Of Genie on the television, but he wasn't really paying attention to the shows. All he kept thinking about was the possibilities if Jackie could get him inducted into the Nexus. He imagined running into Alex Riley in the locker room and laughing in his face because he has his new buddies behind him for protection. He felt like he belonged in that group anyway. Tony himself had been an NXT rookie just like the rest of them, and he thought he deserved to have one of those cool black shirts with the yellow 'N' on it for his own. The more he thought about it, the more he wanted it.

As the sun began to rise and his phone still remained silent, Tony started to feel a little discouraged. He hoped Jackie would be true to her word and call him back. He lifted up his left arm to glance at his wristwatch. It was only just after eight thirty, and that still seemed a little early. She was probably still in bed. Tony sighed with boredom as he flipped through the channels randomly. He wondered how long he would have to wait and hoped it wouldn't be too long. He could already feel himself going a little bit insane. He guessed anticipation could do that to a person. He wished his flight would be leaving sooner so he had something to do, but he had the entire afternoon free. There wasn't a whole lot of options for entertainment in this mediocre town in Kentucky where the WWE was visiting right now. There was nothing much to do but keep watching these ridiculous old sitcoms of The Jeffersons, Sanford and Son, and The Honeymooners.

It had been a mistake forgetting to close the curtains last night. Now the bright morning sun was splashed across the bed, rousing Jackie from a restful slumber. She slowly rose to an upright position, rubbing her sleepy eyes with her hand. As she stretched languidly, she groaned softly, feeling a little achy. Monday nights were always her most active nights of the week, and come Tuesday morning she was guaranteed to feel it. Blinking her sensitized eyes in the sunlight, Jackie's gaze landed on Heath who was still fast asleep on the pillow beside her. She smiled to herself, feeling a little giddy from the memories of all the naughty things they had done to each other last night. She flopped back down into the sheets, grinning foolishly to herself as she reminisced. "It was worth it." she whispered aloud without meaning to.

"What was worth it?" asked Heath suddenly, rolling over onto his side and snuggling into her, his eyes closed the whole time. The sun was obviously effecting him too. Jackie had been so lost in thought that she hadn't even noticed when he was coming awake. "Oh. My back hurts. But you were spectacular last night. It was worth it." she explained, snuggling along with him. Heath was burrowing his face in her hair as he replied, "Oh. Thanks. I can't complain either." The calm and quiet in the room threatened to lull them back to sleep, but something in the back of Jackie's conscience kept her from doing so. She felt like there was something she was supposed to be doing. Despite Heath's protests, she sat up and grabbed her watch off the nightstand. She wasn't surprised to see that it was after ten o'clock. That was the usual for her on a Tuesday. She sighed in regret as she set her watch back down, and then climbed out of the bed.

"I'm gonna hit the shower, Heath. You can sleep all day if you want, but I have to get to that show tonight." Jackie explained as she gathered a fresh set of clothes from her suitcase. Heath was finally looking somewhat awake as he objected obstinately. "Aw, come on, can't you stay here with me for just one more hour?" he asked as he heard the shower faucet turn on in the next room. Jackie reappeared in the doorway of the bathroom, looking apologetic. "I really wish I could, but you know I gotta coach that rookie Diva at tonight's show in St. Luis. Man, I can't tell you how much I hate working on NXT. I can't _believe_ they picked me to be a pro for season three!" she complained, shaking her head and throwing her hands up in exasperation as she turned back into the bathroom. As she scrubbed herself in the shower, she heard Heath's offer to accompany her this week so it won't be as boring for her. She thought that would be the perfect remedy.

There was still plenty of time before the flight to pick up breakfast so Heath drove them over to the nearest Dunkin Donuts to get some coffee and croissants. Even though it was almost noon, Jackie sipped gratefully at the strong steamy brew. It was getting a little chilly outside already and the hot beverage did the trick to warm her up some. However, she hardly had the chance to enjoy it because she was getting that niggling feeling again that she was supposed to do something important. She remembered she was supposed to be calling someone. Her concentration was obvious enough for Heath to pick up on. "What's up, sugar? You thinking you forgot something?" he asked.

Jackie shrugged, picking at the crispy roll on her napkin. "I don't know. I have so much shit to do I don't know where to start. I keep remembering I'm supposed to do something, but I can't think of what it is." she explained as she opened her purse and pulled out her appointment book. There was nothing written on the schedule for today except her three o'clock flight to St. Luis and her seven o'clock show at NXT. "Oh well. I must be paranoid or something. It's probably nothing if I didn't write it in my book." she reasoned before taking a sip of her hazelnut-flavored coffee that she'd loaded with cream. Heath reached his arms across the table to grasp her hands. They looked at each other as he said, "Forget it then. It'll come to you eventually." Jackie nodded in agreement and changed the subject. "Well, I can hardly be surprised that I'm distracted this morning. I found out last night why people call you the One Man Rock Band. You certainly blew my mind." she stated, grinning and giggling.

Heath shrugged as if it came to him naturally and explained, "Well, I had no choice. I had to compensate for that untimely interruption." That statement triggered a memory node in her brain and suddenly Jackie was remembering her unexpected phone call. Her brother had said he needed her help, and he had sounded like he was in a bit of a jam. She had promised to call him back in the morning. The day was almost half over already. "Oh shit, that's right! I was supposed to call Tony!" she exclaimed, digging into her purse for her cell phone, "I better do it now before I forget again."

Now that it was nearing lunchtime, Tony was resigned to presume that Jackie had forgotten about him again. Although he wasn't completely surprised, he was still greatly disappointed, but he couldn't call her again. He knew it would probably annoy her further, and the last thing he wanted to do was get on her bad side. After his unwelcome disturbance the night before, he guessed it wouldn't take much more to upset her. It would do him no good if he expected a favor from her.

He was tired of these stupid TV shows he'd been watching all morning and decided to go out and get something to eat for lunch. Just as he was about to turn off the episode of I Love Lucy that was currently showing on the television, Tony's cell phone started ringing. He jumped up startlingly when he heard the sudden jingling and felt the sudden vibrating in his pants. Whipping the mini electronic from his jeans back pocket, he checked the caller ID window and was relieved to see the mobile number of his sister, Jackie, displayed. Slightly comforted and feeling a rejuvenated fondness for his sister because she came through after all, Tony answered the phone.

"Hey, Jack! How are ya today?" he replied, pacing the floor as he talked. "Hey, Tonez! I'm great actually, thanks for asking. What about you?" she asked, sounding like she was in a pretty good mood. Tony was extremely grateful for that. "I could be better, to be honest. That's why I called you last night. I'm sorry I bothered you so late, but it's kinda important." he started to explain, but the television was a bit too loud and he was interrupted by Ricky Ricardo's famous line. "Lucy! You got some 'splainin' to do!" Tony quickly turned down the volume as he heard Jackie speaking in his ear. "I figured. You sounded like you were in trouble. It must be pretty serious if you're begging _me _to help you. You know I'll never let you hear the end of it."

Tony actually felt a little tickled by Jackie's gentle teasing. It made him feel normal again because it reminded him of their playful sibling rivalry during their childhood. In truth, he would be glad to be in her debt if she manages this situation for him. It was that important to him. "Fine, I'll write you out an I.O.U., okay? What do you want for Christmas?" he asked, prepared to take mental notes. Jackie laughed. "I'll have to get back to you on that. You know I'll have to give it a lot of thought. Anyway, tell me what's bothering you so bad and I'll see what I can do to help." she replied. Tony let out a deep breath, preparing himself to tell her about his plight.

"Well, it's kinda a long story. You got time?" he hoped. "L'il bit. I'll give you forty minutes. I got a flight to catch." Jackie informed him. "I'll try to condense it. So, I've been having this feud with Alex Riley since I came for the NXT season two contest, right? He never leaves me alone! I don't know why, but he just doesn't like me. Every week he looks for me just so he can beat me up or play tricks on me. I'm sick and tired of it, Jack! I wanna turn the tables on that asshole! I wanna be the one bullying _him_ for a change! I know you're the only one who can make that happen. I wanna join the Nexus. Do you think you can get me in?"

After Tony's declaration, Jackie didn't know what to think. This wasn't anything like what she'd been expecting. It was quite a bit to ask of her, too, and she didn't think it would be an easy task either. Her jaw was hanging open in shock as she glanced across the table at Heath for reassurance. "What is it, sugar? You okay?" he asked, scooting his chair around beside her and draping his arm over her shoulders to comfort her. "I don't know what to say, Tony. This is pretty sudden. Give me a minute, will you?" she said, stunned, and put the phone down. At first, she couldn't even explain. She just needed a few seconds to let the concept sink in and take a few deep breaths to clear her mind. "I'll explain after I hang up, Heath." said Jackie, gathering some strength from the gentle massage he was kneading into her shoulder. "Tony? You still there?" she asked when she put the phone back to her ear. "Yeah. So what do you think? I mean, I know it's probably a lot to ask but I don't know what else to do. You're my only hope."

Jackie wondered if there was another way. She figured it would be kind of weird to have her brother in the Nexus with her, especially now that he knows about her and Heath. It could mean trouble for her, and besides, she wasn't sure if she could talk Wade into letting Tony join. He was tall and tough, but he was lanky. Not only that, but he was slightly lacking in a few attributes that are needed in the ring. Wade wouldn't find him to be qualified enough to be in his group. She would have to pull a lot of strings to get this to work. "Well, Tony, I can understand your desperation, but are you sure you wanna join the Nexus? There's a lot of responsibility involved, and it's not the easiest job, you know. I mean, sure it looks pretty glamorous, but you'll be expected to do a lot of dirty work and I'm not sure if you'd be cool with that. You said it yourself, answering to Wade Barrett is the main duty here." Jackie reasoned.

"Yeah, true, but that's just the incentive of being in a solid brotherhood. It makes sense to me that if I watch Barrett's back, he'll watch mine. Your boyfriend is the perfect example. He watches out for Wade, and now he's one half of the WWE Tag Team Champions. I want to do the same thing." Tony replied, sounding sure about his decision. Jackie sighed in surrender. She could partly agree with some of what he was saying. "Alright. I'll talk to Wade about it, but I can't make any promises. This isn't a small thing you're asking me and it's not gonna be easy getting you in the group. You can't get mad at me if I don't succeed. It's not up to me, you know." she explained in a compromise. "I understand. I'm just grateful that you're doing this. Thanks, Jack! I owe you big!" agreed Tony. "You can thank me later. For now, I just want one thing from you. Don't say anything about me and Heath, okay? We're not ready to bring it out yet." Jackie requested. "You got it. You have my word I won't say shit." Tony promised. "Thanks, Tonez. Anyway, meet me at the Nexus' locker room next week at Raw and we'll see what happens. I'll try my best." said Jackie. "Sure thing, sis. I'll be there!" Tony confirmed, sounding excited. "Alrighty then. I gotta get going now, okay? I'll see you next week. Bye!" said Jackie, and Tony realized his time was almost up. "Definitely. Have a nice day! Bye!" he said, and politely hung up the phone.

It had been a long six days for Tony, but finally it was Monday. The weird thing about tonight was that when he entered the arena for the Raw show, he was actually excited for once. If everything went exactly as he hoped, he wouldn't care if he ran into Alex Riley in the locker room from now on. In fact, he hoped for it. Despite all the sudden confidence, the fear hadn't rubbed completely off yet so Tony was still a little cautious as he walked through the locker room halls in search of his dressing room. He made it without any incidents and quickly changed into his wrestling gear. Glancing at the wall clock, Tony saw it was almost seven thirty. The show would be going on the air at the top of the hour, and he was sure Jackie was already in the building. He decided now would be the best time to meet her at the Nexus' dressing room. He wanted to be initiated before his match tonight in case Riley decides to come down to ringside to interfere.

It was easy finding the right room. Tony just kept an eye out for the door with the big 'N' on it. As he stepped up to the door, he could hear several muffled voices coming from the other side. He didn't recognize his sister's voice among them so he hesitated for a moment. He stood there in front of the door wondering if this had been such a good idea after all. What if the Nexus gets mad that he's there and beats him up? No, Jackie wouldn't let that happen. He hoped she would be the one to answer the door as he raised his arm and knocked. Tony didn't realize he was holding his breath while he waited. When the door opened, he was greeted by David Otunga. The yellow letter on his chest was expanded from his muscular bulk, and his armband strained as he curled his bicep with a twenty-pound dumbbell. Tony tried not to seem intimidated.

Otunga wasn't the tallest of guys, so he had to look up at the unexpected visitor and he didn't like that. It was only natural for him to use his build to make up for it. He drew attention to his bulging bicep by pumping the dumbbell while he sized up the taller wrestler standing there in the hallway. "Who are you and what the hell kinda business you got with the Nexus?" asked David in a cocky tone. Tony tried not to let his voice tremble as he answered. "I'm here to see my sister. She told me to meet her here tonight. Is Jackie around?" David looked doubtful as he frowned at Tony. "I might see a resemblance, but only in the face. Seems to me like she's got bigger arms than you!" he joked meanly, laughing tauntingly.

Tony should have expected this. It was the Nexus way to act like they were bigger and better than everyone else, because they were. He realized that if he wanted to be part of this group, he was going to have to adopt this demeanor, but he could worry about that later. Right now he needed to come up with the right response in order to get the desired effect. "That might be true, but _she's_ never endured an extreme rules match. _She's_ never been power bombed through a flaming table. _She's _never wrestled a match while wrapped in barbed-wire, but _I_ have! My name is Hardcore Tony and I have no fear."

David was looking at the kid like he was crazy, but he seemed to begin to respect him a little. "That's cool, H.T. But you can't talk to Jackie right now. She's in a meeting with Barrett at the moment and it can't be interrupted." he informed Tony who cursed under his breath. "Okay, dude. Listen, it's important that I talk to her tonight. Could you please let her know I stopped by?" Tony requested politely. "Yeah, sure, kid. See ya around." said David, curling his bicep one more time just for the fun of it. Just as he was about to close the door, Tony heard a familiar voice coming from inside the room. "Wait a sec! Dave, is that my brother out there? Let him in!" That was Jackie's voice, and then the door opened wider. She stood in the doorway wearing her own black and yellow Nexus shirt and armband, along with her skirted wrestling trunks and calf-length boots with the yellow 'Ns' on the sides.

"Sorry, Tonez. You know how hectic Mondays are." she explained, then turned to David who was lingering curiously, "You're dismissed, Dave. It's cool. He's family." David frowned with indignation. "He ain't Nexus family. He don't belong in here." he pointed out. "We'll see what Wade has to say about that." said Jackie defiantly, then waved Tony into the room. Otunga stared Tony down as he stepped inside the dressing room. "Don't mind him, Tony. He does that to all the newcomers. He'll warm up to you after awhile." she advised, "Come on. We got a lot to talk about and time's short."

As Tony followed Jackie across the room, he was aware of all the stares he was getting from every member of the Nexus he passed. Even Heath Slater was scrutinizing him with suspicion, and Tony had never felt like more of an outsider than at this moment. He was nervous by how Wade Barrett would treat him, but he kept his back straight and his head held high to present confidence as Jackie pulled him through a door where they found the leader in the middle of a conversation with the two newest members of the Nexus, season two contestants Husky Harris and Michael Mcguillicutty. The talking stopped abruptly when the siblings entered the room, and Wade dismissed the rookies with a nod. The pair of rookies were silent as they rounded Tony to get to the door, but maintained eye contact until they left the room. They were remembering a lingering rivalry that was left over from the competition.

Wade had his large arms crossed over his massive chest, half covering his yellow 'N' as he observed the two wrestlers stepping into his office. "What's this, L'ile Missy? You know be'er than to bring strangers in here." he reminded her leniently in his strong English accent. "My apologies, Wade, but he's not exactly a stranger. I've known him ever since he was born. He's my younger brother." Jackie explained docilely. Wade looked the boy over with interest. "Is that right? Even so, he's not Nexus so he can't be in here." he barked, unfaltering. "With all due respect, sir, that's why he's here. He's petitioning for a spot in the Nexus, if you'll allow him the chance to prove himself worthy." said Jackie, looking fearlessly up at the towering form of Wade Barrett. Tony respected her all the more for this, especially when Barrett seemed to be giving it some thought.

"Tell me why I should even consider it? He's obviously under-qualified." said Wade pointedly, looking at the skinny young man in front of him. "Allow me to brief you on some of his credentials. He competed in the second season of NXT, which is reason enough in itself. However, what you might find even more impressive is that he lasted longer than both Husky _and_ Mike who were eliminated practically in the beginning of the competition. Not only that but he's pinned them both more times in a best-of-five series of matches. In addition to that, out of all eight rookies, Tony here made it all the way to second runner-up, bested only by Alex Riley who's the only one in that competition with the better win-loss record than Tony. Forgive me for being frank but, that doesn't sound under-qualified to me." lectured Jackie.

Tony tried not to beam at the words his sister was saying about him. He was proud of the way she was portraying him and he felt like she was being his lawyer. If that were the case, she would be a damn good one because Wade, as judge, was nodding and rubbing his chin with consideration as she orated. "That's a very impressive resume, but I'm not gonna just accept any ol' Joe who walks in here. He's gotta prove himself to me first, but good luck getting one of the Nexus members to face you in the ring." Wade proposed, speaking to Tony for the first time. The kid had been silent and standing behind his sister the entire time, and Wade wondered if he had a mind of his own. "You up for that, or what? Speak up, kid!" Wade snapped impatiently. Tony jumped to attention at Wade's sudden temper, and nodded his confirmation. "Yessir, Mr. Barrett! I accept the challenge. You won't be disappointed. Thanks for the opportunity." he practically groveled with gratitude. "Good, now get outta here. You're starting to annoy me." said Wade, waving this meeting to a close.

Tony couldn't thank Jackie enough. "Man, you were great, sis! You knew just what to say to get what I wanted. You're the best sister anybody can have. Thanks a lot!" he praised as he stepped out of the Nexus' dressing room and into the hallway with her. "I know, I know. I've been telling you how awesome I am for years, and _now _you finally believe me? Anyway, don't get too excited. The battle isn't over yet. You still have to win that match, and you don't even have an opponent yet. That's gonna be a problem because-" Jackie cut herself short when the Nexus' door reopened and Heath Slater stepped out of the dressing room. He too was wearing his Nexus shirt and armband, along with his sparkly red trunks and black boots. He didn't look too happy at the moment, if the frown on his face was any indication. He confronted Jackie and replied in a disgruntled tone, "What's going on here, Jackie? Who is this jobber?"

Tony didn't appreciate being called names but he was hardly in a position to sass back. It would be just plain stupid to insult his sister's boyfriend after everything she's done for him so far. He decided to let Jackie take care of this. She had known how to handle Barrett, so obviously she would know how to handle Slater as well. "Hey, don't talk about my brother like that. Don't tell me you forgot already. I told you all about this last week. You knew I was gonna talk to Wade about letting him join the Nexus." she reminded him. Heath nodded grumpily as he looked over at Tony. "He ordered an initiation match, didn't he? Who's it gonna be?" he asked, and Tony shrugged. Jackie answered for him. "Wade didn't say. It's up to Tony to challenge Nexus members until someone accepts. I was hoping you would be willing to do the honors." Heath looked offended. "What! Me? I hope you're not expecting me to lie down for this kid just so he can join our group, 'cuz I won't do it! I got a reputation to maintain, just like you! I'm a WWE champion, dammit!" Heath complained.

Tony piped in. "Nobody's asking you to lie down. I don't wanna win that way. I wanna beat you fair and square." he replied sportsmanlike. Heath pulled himself up to his full height, almost even with Tony, and puffed his chest out in challenge to prove his manliness. "If you can! I accept your challenge! See you in the ring, rookie!" he growled. "Oh, thank you, Heath! You're so sweet to do this for me. I'll make it up to you later, promise." said Jackie cheerfully as she hugged him affectionately, then added, "Well, I better get ready for my match. Good luck, Tony!" After planting an enthusiastic kiss on Heath's mouth, she winked with a suggestive smirk on her face. "See you later, honey buns!" she stated and playfully smacked him on his buns before she turned to leave. Waving goodbye, Jackie disappeared into the dressing room.

Heath's eyebrows were still raised in shock from the slap when he heard Tony speaking from beside him. "I appreciate this too, Slater, really. I'm actually looking forward to this." He looked over at his opponent for tonight and crossed his tattooed arms over his chest, displaying complete indifference. "Don't mention it, kid. It's just part of my job, so don't take it personally. I'm only doing this to make your sister happy, otherwise you wouldn't mean shit to me." he replied. Tony could accept that. It was good that he cared about Jackie enough to make adjustments just to please her. That was the kind of guy Tony felt his sister deserved. "I can respect you for that, but once we get in the ring, it's strictly business. May the better man win." he said and then turned without another word. He had a match to get ready for, too, and it would be coming up... next.

No matter how hard Tony tried not to feel nervous, all the excitement around him prevented him from any kind of ease. As he stood behind the curtain to the stage that would lead him to either victory or defeat, he could hear the rambunctious crowd on the other side and it put him slightly on edge. He wound the wrist tape around his wrists to try to distract himself. As he ripped the tape off the roll with his teeth, Tony felt a presence joining him behind the stage curtain. He turned his head and saw Heath Slater standing there looking as prepared as a grappler could possibly be. He represented a dominant force with his Nexus brand and golden championship strapped around his waist. Defeating this guy wasn't going to be simple and Tony knew it, but he reminded himself of his accomplishments which spoke for themselves. He'd already secured wins over two of the Nexus members, so it proved that he could beat one more. The fate of his future depended on it.

"You're looking pretty cocky right now, rookie. Thinkin' you're gonna pull this win on me, aren't you? Don't be so sure of yourself. I've beaten guys like you with my eyes closed." bragged Heath with a cockiness of his own. "Say what you want, Slater, but my actions will speak loud enough in the ring. With respect to my sister, I won't argue with you. I don't wanna be your enemy. I wanna be Nexus, not against you. I hope we can be friends after this match, regardless of it's result whatever it may be, and not just friends but maybe even brothers one day?" said Tony, sounding like he was calling a truce for the moment.

Heath was surprised by his opponent's sportsmanship, but decided that he shouldn't be. This guy is Jackie's brother, and his attitude shows it. Since Jackie always knew the best way to handle a situation, it would make sense that Tony had some of the same wisdom. Maybe the kid wasn't so bad after all, and perhaps he was right in asking for acceptance. Beyond maybe becoming Nexus family, they could possibly have to get along in a real family outside of wrestling. His relationship with Jackie had been getting serious enough over the past few months. Heath nodded in agreement with Tony and held out his hand in harmonization. "You're right, man. Let's have a clean, fair fight out there, alright?" he replied, and Tony shook his hand just as he heard his entrance music begin to blare out on the speakers, signaling the start of their match. Throwing a two-finger salute, Tony turned and stepped through the curtains.

Alex Riley was feeling a little bored and he hated that. He needed to do something about it, quick. Whenever he got bored, he liked to tease the people who were weaker than him to pass the time. "I wonder where Bones is at right now." said Alex, already scheming up tricks for him to play on Tony. As he scoured the hallways for his target, Riley passed a television stand that was set up and showing the live events that were happening in the ring. At first glance, he didn't think much about what was going on because he saw one of the Nexus members out there and Alex didn't want to have anything to do with that gang. However, something caught his eye and he backtracked to get a second look. The Nexus member was facing Bones, and the best thing about that was there were no other Nexus members out there at ringside! Grinning evilly, Alex turned in the other direction he'd been walking in the first place and detoured toward the stage entrance.

When Alex stepped out of the backstage area and onto the stage, he looked down toward the ring and could see the referee down on the canvas and asking Heath Slater if he gives up as Hardcore Tony held him in a chin lock. "No!" was the forceful answer that Riley could hear shouted from his position all the way at the top of the ramp. As Alex made his way down the ramp, spectators in the crowd began noticing him one by one. Soon a buzz was ringing out around him as the fans began talking about it, wondering what he was doing out there. He ignored the points and jeers from the hating fans as he made it down to the ring and circled it so he could make sure Tony saw that he was there. He couldn't suppress the chuckles that were building in his chest when Tony looked up and made eye contact.

The last person Tony wanted to see right now was Alex Riley, but there he was at ringside, just a few feet away from the apron, right in front of him. His submission hold eased a little when he saw the malicious sneer on Riley's face, but he recovered quickly before Slater escaped his clutches. Tony refused to let Riley distract him from this match. It was far too important. Despite his silent coaching to himself in his head, Tony's resolve was weakened when Riley pulled his right hand out of his Varsity sweater front pocket, revealing something small and shiny pinched in between two fingers. Tony didn't realize what it was until it was pelted at him with dead-on accuracy. It really stung when that penny ricocheted off his forehead. His grip on Slater slipped and the move was countered before Tony could stop it. He was wrapped in a full nelson and was sidewalk slammed onto the canvas before he realized what was happening.

All Nexus members were standing around the television showing the live match that was going on in the ring. They all wanted to know if they were about to add one more member to their team or if the Nexus was going to reign supreme over yet another WWE superstar. Wade Barrett seemed to be paying the most attention, and Jackie kept taking glances over at him to see his reactions. At present, Wade seemed to be pretty impressed by her brother's performance so far. Both wrestlers have been competing by the rulebook during the entire contest, and it has been a close match-up. They were going at each other with seemingly their best, but neither one of them would give up. The referee was getting quite a work-out as he went down for the count for kick-out after kick-out. Neither wrestler wanted to be pinned.

It was when Tony locked Heath in a submission hold that Jackie first saw Alex Riley had decided to show his face at ringside. She didn't like the look on his face and she had a feeling he was going to interfere. Even if Riley did nothing physically to get involved in this match, Tony still seemed to be effected by his presence. Jackie could tell that he was struggling not to let Riley bother him, but there was nothing Tony could do to stop Alex from flicking a penny at him. "Oh no!" she whispered under her breath as she witnessed Tony getting body slammed onto the canvas. "Pardon the interruption, Wade, but may I be excused?" she asked her leader who was standing beside her and nodding his head with approval for one of his disciples. Without looking at her, Wade waved her off, saying in a bossy tone, "Yeah, sure, but hurry back!" Jackie tried not to seem rushed as she replied, "Thank you, sir. I'll be right back." As she turned toward the direction of the ring, she tried to walk and not run. There was no way she was going to let Riley get away with _this_ stunt! What if he hits Heath with a penny? There was only one way for a Diva to handle this egotistical swaggering peacock, and she regretted that she didn't like it, but she would do anything to protect her own. When she had first slipped on her armband, she had made that binding vow. You're either Nexus, or you're against us.

Tony's back was still aching and his head was still spinning from the slam when he felt himself being helped up and maneuvered into a corner. He was too disoriented to stop Heath as he hoisted him up onto the top turnbuckle. Tony was trying to shake off the cobwebs as Heath climbed up the ropes in front of him to set him up for a suplex. His mind cleared just enough to see his sister come strolling down the ramp and approach Alex Riley. He felt reassured knowing she was there, but it was too late. He felt Heath heaving him up and flipping him onto his back. This time, the pain that washed over his body gave him an adrenaline rush that was accompanied by a soothing numbing effect. Suddenly he felt like Superman and knew that as soon as he gets the upper hand, he was going to conclude this match at last.

It was a rewarding feeling to see that Bones was getting his ass kicked right now and that he had something to do with it. Alex was still chuckling to himself when he realized that he wasn't the only wrestler at ringside. He was surprised but not displeased when he saw the Diva coming straight for him. Even though she was wearing that famously feared Nexus symbol on her bosom, Alex wasn't shy to take a nice long gander at it. He grinned arrogantly as she stepped right up to him. "Well, hello there, doll face. I take it you came down here to beg me for a date." he replied conceitedly. Jackie tried not to look repelled by his statement and made herself smile flirtingly. "Not exactly." she said, reaching an arm out and snaking it behind his neck, "Actually I was going to _demand_ one." Alex's smile grew, as he inched a little closer until their bodies were touching. He reached his hand out to dive his fingers through her silky dark-blond hair. He knew it had been a good idea to come out here tonight. He didn't even have to find a cure for his boredom. The cure had found him instead, and it was way better than throwing pennies at Freshies.

Heath had thought he had a momentum going here, but then suddenly Tony had gotten this energy spurt and was coming back no matter what he threw at him. Heath didn't know where it was coming from, but every time he punched and kicked at him, Tony would seem to grow stronger. Getting a little frustrated, Heath ran the ropes to come back at Tony with a clothesline, but as he rushed the ropes he noticed that Jackie had come down to ringside. He hadn't known when she'd arrived, but there she was talking to Alex Riley! Not only that, but they were standing way too closely to each other and there were huge twin smiles on their faces. He didn't like seeing Riley's grubby hands in Jackie's hair either. Heath grabbed onto the ropes to brake his momentum and glared down at them. "Hey! What the he-" he began to exclaim, but before he could finish the sentence, he was being grabbed from behind and rolled up into a schoolboy pin. He wriggled and kicked his legs, but his shoulders remained pinned onto the mat and before he could kick out, the referee had counted to three.

As Tony's arm was raised in victory, Heath sat there on the mat looking shocked. He couldn't believe he was just pinned. Worse than that, he couldn't believe what was happening at ringside. But when he looked over, Riley was standing there looking upset. Jackie had slid into the ring and was hugging her brother in triumph. He realized that she wasn't really coming on to Alex Riley. She was just distracting him from the match. The relief that Heath felt made him feel dizzy so he remained sitting on the canvas for awhile, leaning against the bottom rope as Jackie celebrated with the newest member of the Nexus. Next thing he knew, Wade Barrett had joined them in the ring. In his right hand was a set of Nexus gear and he handed it over to Tony with a nod of approval. "Congratulations, kid. Very impressive. Welcome aboard!" Wade commended as he shook Tony's hand to seal the deal.

Tony couldn't stop smiling as he slipped his new shirt over his head and tugged on his new armband. He was proud to wear this prestigious logo and knew he would have no qualms about taking part in whatever duties was required of him. He now had strength in numbers and that was worth any dishonest and immoral deed that Barrett might order him to do. Feeling like a completely different person, Tony looked down at Heath and helped him to his feet. Heath was rubbing his neck uncomfortably and looking humiliated, but his expression changed when Tony said, "That was a great match, man. You really gave me a run for my money. Friends?" He outstretched his arm in comradeship. Heath looked at him for a moment, seeming sour at first, but then his scowl softened a bit. He clamped Tony's hand in companionship and said as they shook, "Not just friends... we're brothers."

Now looking around the ring, everyone was wearing that black and yellow symbol, but standing outside the ring was someone who wasn't. Alex Riley realized he was way out of place here and suddenly felt intimidated by Tony for once as his foe leaned over the ropes to shout at him. "Why don't you throw pennies at me now, huh? You know the rules. Either you're Nexus, or you're against us!" said Tony with relish. He had been wanting to say those words for so long and it felt damn good. He wanted to laugh at the terrified look on Riley's face as he quietly slinked away from ringside. His heart was beating so hard he thought it would explode as he stepped up on the second rope at the turnbuckles and raised his arms in victory. The Nexus theme song was blasting on the speakers, and from all the emotions that were threatening to overwhelm him right now, Tony knew this was a moment in his life that he would never, ever forget.

Mixed signals. One minute that Nexus chick was flirting with him and the next minute she's celebrating in the ring with Bones! Of all people, Bones! In addition to that, he won the match too! Alex couldn't stop thinking about it. He was so upset that he wanted to punch somebody. He'd like to go down to Bones' dressing room and power bomb him just to remind him who's the better man between the two of them. Except there was a problem with that. Tony was Nexus now. Alex would have to be stupid to pick a fight in the middle of that group. He pushed that dilemma to the back of his head. His energy would serve more purpose if focused more on that Diva. He had to make sure if she was still on for a date tonight. Then again, had she really wanted it in the first place? On the television he was watching, the Nexus chick was swinging a powerful roundhouse kick into her opponent, Alicia Fox's face as Alex decided that he had to find out for sure. Mix signals, he was thinking again as he made his way back down to the ring.

It was no wonder why Jackie was fit for the Nexus. She was giving Fox quite the beat-down in the ring when Alex made it to ringside. At first, he was so in awe by the power of her moves that he stayed planted where he stood just to watch. Jackie had Alicia upon her shoulders in a fireman's carry, displaying her strength, then flipped her down into a face buster. Recognizing a finisher for what it was, Alex snapped out of his stupor as Jackie scurried for the cover. As the referee completed the three-count, Riley hopped up onto the apron and slipped through the ropes into the ring. Jackie's arm was being raised in victory so she never noticed the rookie coming up behind her. She didn't know he was there until she was finished celebrating her win and turned away from the turnbuckles where she'd been boasting. Frowning mightily, she expressed the surprise at seeing him there.

"What the hell are you doing here? None of this is any of your business!" Alex forged a pout and replied, "I thought we had a date tonight. Don't tell me you changed your mind already because I won't believe it. Every Diva wants a date with me. They're running each other over just to get to me. You're lucky you don't have to get in line." Jackie thought he was the most arrogant jerk she'd ever met and didn't want to hear anymore. "Don't be so full of yourself. I wouldn't go out with you even if I was offered a million dollars!" she declared. Alex appeared to be misbelieving. "That's what you think now, but that's only because you don't know what you're missing. I could change your mind in a heartbeat." he guaranteed.

The more Alex Riley talked, the more Jackie thought he was annoying. He sounded so sure of himself, but little did he know that she meant what she said about never going out with him, and nothing could change that. She could go on all night about all the reasons why not, but she has far more important things to attend to right now. There was much Nexus business to take care of still. She didn't even intend to waste her time by throwing a smart remark at Riley, she just planned to leave. However, before she could even turn away, Alex had grabbed her by the arms and was planting a harsh kiss on her mouth. The shock left her defenseless at first, but after Jackie got over that, she became revolted. Her stomach felt like rebelling and she almost gagged, but her assailant just wouldn't let her go. She could feel his slimy tongue in her mouth and now understood why he didn't win the NXT kissing contest. Feeling a sudden surge of desperation, Jackie whipped out her hand and cracked Riley right across his face with a loud audible slap.

Now subdued, Alex stepped back a bit, holding the reddened side of his face with shock. His eyes were as wide as saucers, not being able to perceive what had just happened. No girl had ever been able to resist his charm. He was brought out of his shock when Jackie hopped out of the ring and began to walk toward the locker room with an obviously rushed gait. He jumped out of the ring in pursuit and caught up with her halfway up the ramp. He grabbed her by the elbow and turned her back toward him. Just as he was about to say some words of disdain to her, Alex caught some movement behind her. He looked up just in time to see Hardcore Tony, wearing his new Nexus badge, come racing down the ramp. The two foes collided right there in front of Jackie who stepped out of the way in order to avoid getting caught by a stray fist.

The battle raged on for a short minute, fists flying in every direction with neither enemy gaining the upper hand. That lasted until Alex landed a cheap shot on Tony, poking him in the eye with a thumb. It was enough to stagger Tony back and Alex took advantage of the small opening to kick Tony in the gut and set him up on his shoulders for his finisher. Luckily, before Riley could drop his foe, Heath Slater and Justin Gabriel came to Tony's rescue. When Justin kicked Riley right in the sternum, Tony escaped from his grasp and then Heath came in with a sidewalk slam. During the entire fight, Jackie had stood at the ready with a folded steel chair that she stole from the announce tables. Heath and Justin hefted up Alex by his arms and held him while Jackie whacked him on the head with the chair. The chair shot busted open his forehead. Jackie was still laughing derisively as her teammates then dragged Alex backstage. It was pretty much the coolest thing that ever happened in Tony's life as he watched with amusement as Heath and Justin shoved Riley into his own locker. All Nexus members present were laughing as they walked away, leaving Alex whimpering, bleeding, and possibly standing in a puddle of his own urine.

"Thanks for having my back, guys! That was the shit! Did you see the look on his face?" said Tony to his two new pals, still laughing joyfully as they walked through the halls toward the Nexus' dressing room. "Don't mention it." said Heath, "You earned my respect out there tonight so I'm not gonna let that guy bully you anymore, and aside from that, we're all Nexus here. Besides, there's no way I was gonna sit back and let Riley get away with what he did to Jackie out there! You think I was gonna let you have all the fun?" Justin added, "Yeah, same here. Heath is my tag team partner and if he thinks you're cool then I know you must be cool. I never liked Alex Riley anyway and he crossed a line with me tonight. From now on, any enemy of yours is an enemy of mine." The four Nexus members bumped forearms to signify solidarity as a team just as they reached their locker room.

Later that night after the show had ended, the entire group of the Nexus met for a celebratory dinner at Applebee's to commend the new inductee. Wade was obviously hosting the show, standing up at his seat at the head of the table and calling for a toast in honor of Hardcore Tony who tried not to beam with pride as his teammates around him raised their glasses of beer and drank deeply. The night could not have gone down better. Not only did he win the biggest match of his career, but Alex Riley finally got what was coming to him as well. It was at that moment that Tony was feeling an increasing bond with his sister who had made this all possible for him. She had pulled a lot of strings to help get him to where he is today and he felt obligated to make it up to her somehow.

Glancing over at the end of the table, Tony saw Jackie seated at Wade's right hand. She seemed so small and fragile sitting next to Barrett's large form, but Tony wasn't fooled. He knew how powerful and influential she was for the team. He wondered who was really the leader of this group. As easily as Jackie had been able to manipulate Barrett earlier tonight, Tony realized that she was probably responsible for a lot of the escapades the Nexus went on. Now that he thought about it, most of their exploits seemed like something she would do.

It wasn't a surprise to see that even though Jackie was sitting right next to Wade, she was staring straight at Heath. It was with such longing that Tony wondered why no one else at the table noticed it. He could tell it was killing her that she wanted to be sitting over here with Heath instead of in between Wade Barrett and David Otunga. It had to be difficult for her to live her life that way and Tony wondered why she didn't just come out with her relationship with Heath. Turning his head to his left, Tony saw that Heath was returning Jackie's stare. He seemed to want her over here as much as she wanted it. Tony wondered how long it's been like this, so it was at that moment he decided that was what he was going to do to pay back Jackie for everything she's done for him. He was going to open up the floodgates, somehow. He was going to make this situation better. He wasn't yet sure how, but he knew it was what he had to do.

It was then Tony noticed someone coming into the restaurant. Unlike any other night, the sight of his enemy didn't disconcert him. He smirked with satisfaction at the large bandage patched on Alex's forehead and the slight hint of a limp. He couldn't believe Riley didn't notice the large group seated in the dining room as he was led to a small table by a waitress. Now that Tony was surrounded by friends, he would love to be the one bullying Alex Riley. He would love to mess with him just because he can. He thought it would be hilarious to fling a spoonful of mashed potatoes into his face, or better yet push his face into his plate of food. Even though it was the Nexus reputation to take advantage of people, Tony wasn't that kind of person so he decided not to lower himself to Riley's level. It wasn't worth tainting this awesome evening and would be a waste of his time. He saw the waitress jotting down Riley's order and decided to just ignore the guy. There were far more important things to deal with at present. He needed to be coming up with a game plan on how to help Jackie.

Turning his attention back to his sister, Tony saw that she hadn't eaten much of her dinner. Even now she was absentmindedly pushing the food around on her plate with her fork as she maintained eye contact with Heath. The hint of a smirk flashed across her face and her eyes were sparkling with suggestion. She peeked a glance at Wade to make sure he didn't notice when she nodded her head toward the door and winked at Heath who nodded in understanding. Tony looked around the table seeing that his mates were oblivious to this exchange, too busy eating to notice, and he wasn't surprised when Jackie spoke. "Excuse me, Wade, but I forgot my cell phone in the car and I need to check my messages. May I have the keys so I can go out and get it, please?" she asked innocently.

Unmindful of Jackie's real motive, Wade dug into his pocket and handed over the car keys. "Make it quick. It's dark out and it's too late for you to be wandering around alone." he granted as Jackie grabbed the keys and stood up from her seat. Heath jumped up from his seat, seeming a little too anxious to Tony, his chair scraping loudly across the floor. "I'll go with her!" he offered. Wade just nodded his consent and took another bite of food. Heath and Jackie pulled on their jackets that were draped across the back of their chairs, and Tony felt like he was the only one who noticed how rushed the pair headed for the parking lot together despite the obviousness of this ploy, but he said nothing about it. In due time, thought Tony as he took another swallow from his beer mug.

The steak was well done and excellent, to Alex Riley's taste, and the au gratin-style potatoes were perfect. At least something good had come out of tonight. He was more than just aching physically after tonight's events at the show. He was suffering emotionally. He had been embarrassed out there tonight. It had been enough to see Bones earning a spot in the most dominant force in the WWE, but to add to it, Alex had been rejected by that luscious but fiery Nexus Diva in front of everybody. But it didn't end there. He'll never be able to forget the humiliation of getting his ass kicked in front of the whole world and then stuffed into his locker just like he'd been doing to the weaker species since he entered high school. His head was still throbbing from that chair shot despite the large dosage of acetaminophen he'd taken earlier. He told himself he'd have to think twice before getting himself involved with Bones, Jackie or any of the Nexus members again.

The sound of a chair screeching across the floor alerted his attention and he looked in the direction he heard it to see the entire Nexus sitting at a table across the room from him. He was upset that he hadn't noticed they were there, otherwise he would have turned around and walked right back out the door. He watched suspiciously as Jackie walked out of the restaurant with Heath Slater. He wondered where the hell they were going and watched them through the window as they strolled across the parking lot. He chewed his food slowly as he spied them, already wondering if he might be able to pull off a little sneak attack without the other Nexus members knowing.

The crisp late-September air hit them as soon as they stepped out the front door. It didn't seem late enough in the season to be this chilled, but they were in Minneapolis where people experience winter a little sooner. Heath and Jackie pulled their jackets tightly closed as they crossed the parking lot toward the Nexus' rented vehicles. When they got there, they stepped in between the two vehicles, trying to be inconspicuous. There they embraced each other firmly. Heath closed his eyes and buried his face in Jackie's hair as she snuggled closely into his warmth. They weren't feeling the nippy mid-fifties temperature or the sharp gusts of wind anymore. They were feeding off each other's body heat. "Oh, I've been waiting for this all day! Damn I've missed you!" cried Jackie, sounding like she was savoring the moment. Heath shifted a little so he could look at her face. "I can sympathize with that. I can't wait till dinner's over so we can get the hell outta here." he replied. They were staring into each other's eyes as their heads leaned slowly closer to each other, then their eyes were closing as their mouths connected. They stood there for awhile, leaning against the hood of the car and keeping each other warm with loving kisses, oblivious to the rest of the world.

From his table inside the restaurant, Alex Riley could see everything. They thought nobody could see them hiding there in between those two trucks, but Alex was right across from them and saw clearly, with sheer disbelief, when Jackie and Heath started hugging each other. "Really!" said Alex aloud, stealing a catchphrase from his NXT mentor, The Miz. Alex had thought that she liked Bones! He had thought that was the whole reason why she interfered in his initiation match to get him accepted into the Nexus. He had thought Bones was the reason why she'd slapped him when he kissed her. This was an unexpected surprise. He was instantly jealous of Heath Slater, and when he saw them start kissing, his resolve not to meddle vanished and he was getting up from his seat without even thinking about putting his coat back on. He could take out that weak link little carrot top all by himself, and then Jackie would be all his for the taking. He'll get them back for what they did to him at the arena. Yes indeed. Alex just walked right out of the restaurant as if he had finished eating, paid his tab and was leaving the place.

Alex was so upset and angry that he didn't notice the chill as soon as he stepped outside. He wasn't aware of the vapor his breath made as he rushed. He wasn't feeling the bitter air that was seeping through his sweatshirt and nipped at his exposed head as he darted across the parking lot toward the secret space where he knew his quarries were hiding. When he stepped in between the two trucks, Alex saw them there leaning against the vehicle and kissing as if they didn't feel the cold either. They were caught off guard and it was easy for him to club Slater with a double ax handle right square in the middle of his shoulders. The wallop blew the couple apart. As Heath shouted in pain and surprise, Jackie cried out in horror as Riley began pounding on her man.

Even though Tony promised himself he was going to ignore Alex Riley for the rest of the night, he hated the guy so much that he just couldn't stop throwing loathsome glares at him from across the room. Jackie had left with Heath just about a minute ago, and Tony glanced over at Riley to see that he was staring intently out the window. Tony watched him distrustfully until Alex suddenly hopped out of his seat and hurriedly walked out of the restaurant without even putting a jacket on. Knowing the bully was up to something, Tony shot up from his chair and said, "Hey, I forgot something in the car too. I'm gonna try and catch them while they still got the car open. Be right back!" Wade just shrugged uncaringly, not taking his attention off his meal or his beer as Tony grabbed his jacket and was still shrugging it on as he stepped out the front door after Riley. He knew Alex had seen Jackie leave with Heath and figured he was intending on interfering with their romance. Tony wasn't going to just sit there and let it happen.

Tony tried to intercept Alex before he made it to his sister and her boyfriend, but it was too late. He saw him dart in between two cars and heard cries of trouble before he could stop him. Tony rushed in pursuit and saw Riley pounding on Heath. Jackie was crying fretfully behind them and Tony pushed past her to get to the bully. He grabbed Riley by the shoulders and ripped him off of Heath. Tony threw a nice right hook into Alex's jaw, stunning him. Jackie ran, sobbing, to Heath's aid while Tony and Alex went at each other. Tony kept coming at Alex with forearms and fists, but Riley managed to block a few after he oriented himself. He rushed at Tony suddenly, ramming his back into the truck behind him. Next he grabbed him by the head and slammed it into the hood of the other truck. The tables had turned so quickly that Tony was reeling from it and the pain.

Husky Harris drained the last of his beer and let out the loudest belch that anyone had ever heard. Laughing, he said, "Did you hear that?" The other Nexus members just looked at him with disgust, especially Wade who reprimanded him. "You be'er be glad the lady wasn't at the table when you just did that, otherwise I'd come over there and knock your block off." Husky just shrugged and snickered to himself when there was a faint scream sounding from outside in the parking lot. "What is that?" asked Wade, turning in his chair to peer across the dining room towards the windows to see what was going on out there. He huffed, aggravated as he turned back toward the table and instructed in a distasteful voice, "Do I have to supervise you people at _all_ times? Go find out what's going on out there!" The four remaining Nexus members pulled on their jackets and left Wade alone at the table to go to the parking lot.

When they got there, they heard some commotion coming from across the lot and behind their rented vehicles. They stepped lively as they made their way over only to find Tony struggling with Alex Riley, and Jackie sitting next to a disoriented-looking Heath on the asphalt nearby. They rushed into action, attacking Riley in an outnumbered ambush. Alex crumpled under the weight of multiple fists pounding on him, and he was helpless to stop them as the Nexus members beat him to the ground. He was too beaten to stop them as they dragged him across the parking lot to press his back against a tree and used his own belt to bind his wrists together behind his back, tying him there. They all walked off laughing, making their way over to the trio by the trucks to find out exactly what happened, leaving Riley sagging against the tree and nearly fading into unconsciousness.

While the other guys were beating up Alex, Tony had staggered over to Jackie and Heath. "Are you guys okay?" he asked, leaning wounded on the bumper. Jackie had pulled a tissue out of her jacket pocket and was wiping the tears from her face as she nodded. Heath still looked pained, but he nodded quietly. Tony felt terrible. "I saw him follow you guys outside and I tried to stop him but he was too quick. I'm sorry, guys." he apologized. "It's okay, bro." said Heath, shaking off the cobwebs, "It's not your fault. That guy's a meddling little prick." That was when the rest of Nexus joined them. "What happened out here? We heard a scream and Wade sent us out here to check on you." said Otunga, looking from Tony to Jackie to Heath. They were all noticing the tear stains on Jackie's cheeks and hoped she wasn't hurt.

"He attacked Heath from behind as soon as we got here." she replied, twisting the truth just a tad as she pointed accusingly at Alex, "He just came out of nowhere!" She was struggling not to start crying again and it was a tough task. She had been worried about Heath and she wanted to hold him and make it alright again, but she couldn't. "He's a jealous piece of shit." said Tony, trying to take the attention off of Jackie so she could recover. She was obviously still shaken by the whole thing. "We took care of him though. Maybe he'll think twice before he messes with _us_ again!" he declared. Everyone seemed to be buying it and Tony tried not to look relieved as David suggested they get back inside.

As the group started to walk back toward the entrance of the restaurant, Otunga nonchalantly fell back until he was even with Tony. "Hey, kid, I know you're new and everything, but that's twice in one night I saw you getting your ass whooped and that ain't the kinda image our team is supposed to show. If you really wanna stay in the Nexus, it's time for you to step up your game. I mean, look at you. All length and no width, man! You can't intimidate a guy like that. Look, I'm not trying to be rude or nothing, I'm just telling you like it is. I'll train you myself if I have to. Hey, you doin' anything tomorrow?" Tony shook his head. "Listen, if you're interested, meet me at the gym tomorrow at noon and I'll get you started on the right foot." David offered, slapping Tony on the back supportively as they stepped into the diner. They said no more about it for the rest of the dinner, but Tony was definitely considering accepting David's offer. It definitely wouldn't hurt to try. He had nothing to lose and plenty to gain.

Everyone seemed pretty much finished eating at this point. Jackie anxiously looked at her watch and saw it was already past midnight. She was ready to leave awhile ago, especially after the parking lot incident. She needed to get Heath alone so she could tend to his wounds personally. She had been fantasizing about it ever since she sat back down in her seat. Suddenly a voice to her right broke her concentration. "Hey, Jackie, if you're not gonna eat that, I'll finish it for you." Turning her head, Jackie saw Husky pointing at her plate. "Oh, yeah sure. Go ahead." she replied, still a bit dreamy, and Husky reached around David to grab the plate. She then turned to her left and addressed their leader. "Wade, may I be dismissed now? It's been a long day and I'm exhausted. I have a show to do tomorrow night as well." Nodding his permission, Wade began to rise from his seat at the head of the table. "Actually I was just thinking about leaving. If no one objects, I'd say we can call this meal to an end." he announced.

"But I'm not finished!" Husky complained around a mouthful of food, "We haven't even had dessert yet!" Wade shrugged uninterestedly. "You can stay here and eat all night if you want, but we're leaving. You guys can get the bill then." he declared authoritatively as he pulled on his jacket. Heath had also stood up and was slipping into his jacket. "Can I ride with you, Wade? I'm a little banged up after tonight's events and I'd like to go to bed now." he replied in all truth. Of course, it wasn't rest he was planning on getting in the bed, but Wade didn't have to know that. "Sure, Heath. I got room for one more. Anyone else ready to go?" asked Wade, "Tony, you need me to drop you off at the hotel you're staying at?" Tony shook his head and answered politely, "No thanks, Boss. I think I'll stay and get a little more acquainted with my new teammates. I'll see you next week." David Otunga wanted to leave though, so he said his goodbyes and nodded a reminder of his offer to Tony as he zipped up his hoodie.

"Congrats again, Tonez. I'll talk to you later." said Jackie in a hurry before chasing after Wade who was already heading out the door, "Bye, guys! See you next week!" Heath bumped his forearm with Justin, and then Tony. "Catch you later, kiddo." he replied and then waved a quick goodbye to the people still at the table as he was turning around to race after the departing Nexus members. There was a collective goodbye around the table as half of the team left the restaurant. Tony watched the front door swing closed behind them, realizing that he was feeling a pleasant calm at this moment. He was pleasantly buzzed from the beer he drank and contentedly satisfied from the food he ate. He was feeling accomplished from the show and reasonably comfortable with his new situation. Overall, he was perfectly agreeable that this had been the best day of his life. Even though he was a little sore from his match and the parking lot skirmish, he was still feeling pretty good about himself.

He looked around at his remaining table mates, Justin Gabriel to his right and Mike Mcguillicutty and Husky Harris to his left. Although Tony was already accepted by most of the team at this point, he knew he still had a long way to go. He knew of a good way to further instill their clemency which he especially needed from a couple of the guys he'd feuded with during the competition. "You know, I think that was pretty whack that Barrett just left us with the tab. I don't mind helping out though. I owe you guys for helping me out in the parking lot earlier." Tony said reverently. Husky responded first. "That's cool. You know what, you're alright, dude. I could get along with you. I mean, we already know each other pretty well in the ring since we faced each other so many times, so we could make a pretty good team." he replied agreeably. Michael spoke next. "He's right, man. Who's gonna stop us now? The Nexus is stronger than ever."

Tony was grateful for the acceptance. He was now part of a well-knit family and felt like he was invincible. He could see himself as WWE Champion one day. Before he could even begin fantasizing about raising the sparkling strap over his head after defeating Randy Orton to get it, Tony heard Husky adding in an excited voice, "So are we gonna order dessert now or what? Who likes apple pie?" There was a show of hands, including Tony's as he added, "These people couldn't possibly make an apple pie like my mom makes, but it sure sounds good." His friends laughed in amusement and all agreed with that sentiment, except it ended up in an argument as to whose mother makes the best apple pie. The debate lasted until their dessert arrived. After Husky stuffed his first huge bite in his mouth and tasted the sweet and tangy pie, he grinned blissfully and murmured, "I withdraw my argument. Who cares who makes the best pies? All pies are the _bomb_!" All the guys around the table agreed, and as they polished off the dessert, the atmosphere was definitely the best way to end the damn-near perfect day.

It was the freezing cold that awoke Alex Riley from unconsciousness. At first he couldn't remember how he ended up tethered to a tree. His whole body was screaming in agony, the gash on his forehead had been reopened and was bleeding, and he was shivering with cold. It had begun to snow while he'd been passed out, and from the thin collection of white dust on the ground, Alex could guess he had been here for quite some time. The sky was pitch black and the parking lot was practically deserted at this time of night. There had been no other customers around to find him and help him out. He had to get himself free somehow, and quick before he ends up getting frostbitten.

It was a struggle loosening his wrists. His arms were stiff and achy, and his bonds were so tight that they wouldn't give an inch. He was too frozen, weak and wounded to get free, but he knew he couldn't give up. He knew he had to do something or else someone was going to find a frozen cadaver tied to this tree in the morning. Using the last of his energy, Alex managed to wriggle into a position where he could reach his cell phone that was in his back pocket. He couldn't see the buttons he was pressing, but at least he knew them by memory. It was hard enough doing all this with frozen fingers, but he was able to press the right speed-dial button for his mentor, The Miz.

Alex could hear the ringing on the speakerphone, but only faintly in this persistent wind, and prayed that he would answer. The Miz sounded grumpy at the disruption, but Alex quickly explained that he was in trouble and needed him to come get him. "I can barely hear you!" complained Miz, puzzled by the howling of the wind in his ear, "What the hell did you do this time? Where are you?" Alex told him the location of the Applebee's where he would find him and asked him to hurry over. Miz was still griping in a disgruntled tone as he said he'd be there as soon as humanly possible in this out of the blue circumstance, then hung up the phone. As another gust of icy wind blew over him, Alex's frozen hand lost it's grip and dropped the phone onto the snow-covered ground. He felt a sneeze tickling his nose and it wracked his body when it came. He hoped Mike The Miz would hurry up and get here soon before Alex became a human popsicle.

Alex was relieved when he saw the headlights coming, but he was too drained to react when Mike pulled up in front of him and got out of the car. He didn't look too happy to be dragged out in this cold in the middle of the night, and he frowned in bemusement as he stepped up to his NXT rookie. Mike pulled his hood up over his head to protect himself from the wind and keep the falling snowflakes out of his hair as he unwound the belt from around Alex's hands. "You know, A-Ry, you're a lot dumber than I thought." Mike complained as he helped the weakened wrestler off the snowy ground, "How the hell did you get yourself into this predicament, you idiot!" Alex was practically frozen solid by now and was almost too rigid to walk, even as Mike helped him over to the car. His ears were bright red and his lips were tinted blue. "The N-Nexus... ambushed m-me!" Riley managed to answer over chattering teeth. His head was wearing a fluffy white veil of snow by the time Mike helped him into the car and he was grateful for the warmth that greeted him inside the vehicle.

As Mike pulled out of the parking lot, he shook his head admonishingly. Alex was too chilled to speak and he was shivering violently as he gradually thawed out in front of the heater in the dashboard, shaking the snow off of his head and shoulders. He tried to act like he didn't notice his mentor's disappointed glower, keeping his eyes down on his hands that were just now starting to get the feeling back and it was throbbing like hell. "Hopefully you learned your lesson this time, Riley. I warned you back at the arena to stay away from that Diva. I know she's tempting as all hell but you know damn well better than to mess with Nexus. Next time I'm not gonna come bailing you out, so be smart and forget about that girl. I'm not gonna repeat myself again. If you decide not to take my advice I won't care if the Nexus kicks your ass, you understand me, rookie?" lectured Mike in a reproachful voice. Alex nodded docilely and stuttered as he answered. "Y-yesss... s-sssir." he mumbled meekly, still trembling as he slowly melted in the much-needed warmth. "Dumbass!" muttered Mike under his breath, still shaking his head with incredulity. The rest of the car ride was quiet except for the constant chattering of Alex's teeth.

The air was filled with all kinds of things this afternoon. The strong scent of pine. A cool, gentle breeze. A staunch love that only seemed to grow day by day. There was just something magical in the atmosphere. Though Jackie had been through West Virginia several times, she never before visited Pineville, the town where Heath was born. It was a place not much different than the rest of the state, but for some reason Jackie felt like there was something more special about it. Maybe she only felt that way because she was feeling extra romantic sitting horseback with Heath here in the middle of nowhere. There was nothing around for miles except trees and grass and a babbling river nearby. It was just the two of them. It was calm and quiet as the sun began to sink, and Jackie cuddled her back tighter against Heath's chest to help ward off the crisp fall temperatures.

Heath eased the horse to a halt and let the animal rest for a moment. The beautiful brown Chestnut nibbled contentedly at the grass as Heath and Jackie stopped to gaze at the dimming sun that was sinking in the horizon. The sight was dazzling. Pink, purple and three different shades of blue in the sky mixed into the mural with the oranges, yellows and reds of the sun that was nearly half gone by now. Add that to the greens and browns of the tree line in the distance and it made the place seem perfect. Jackie was so awestruck that she became lost in all the colors. "Wow! That's really something!" she whispered almost breathlessly. "It sure is, but that's nothing. You should see what I got here in my hand..." said Heath in a suggestive tone that Jackie had come to recognize as his frisky voice. Smirking playfully, she turned her head to face him, replying, "Why, you naughty-"

Suddenly she trailed off her words when she looked down at his hands which were now grasping her own. Something cold was sliding up her finger and she saw a glinting flash reflect from the last rays of the sun. Her eyes widened as she lifted her left hand a little closer to her face to admire the sparkling diamond ring that was now resting on her ring finger. She sobbed faintly as tears sprang to her eyes and her lips were trembling with emotion. Looking back up at Heath, her tears slipped loose and rolled freely down her cheeks. She'll never forget how striking he looked at this moment. His red hair was shining from the soft glow of the sun and made him blend in so nicely with the backdrop of autumn leaves in the trees that were surrounding them.

Heath's voice sounded a bit husky as he spoke. "Jackie, will you-" he began, but his words were cut short when Jackie wrapped her arms around his shoulders in a crushing squeeze and plunged her mouth over his in a jubilant kiss. Their faces became damp with her tears, and it seemed as if this was her answer. A crow's call was echoing from a distance as the sun sank, dimming the scene into a blackness. "Jackie...!" came Heath's voice in a muffled distance. Jackie felt his warm hands on her shoulders, felt a gentle shaking. "Jackie...!"

Jackie's eyes shot open in a dizzying suddenness. Her vision was blurry from sleep so it took a moment for her eyes to adjust enough for her to take in her environment. She realized she was on an airplane and remembered she was on a flight en route to the Monday Night Raw show scheduled for tonight. She hadn't remembered falling asleep but she was grateful for the nap. She was feeling pretty good right about now. Heath was sitting beside her, smoothing her hair behind her ear. "Hey, sugar. Sorry to wake you, but I thought you might've wanted to know we're getting ready to land in a few minutes." he informed her.

Still feeling a little groggy from sleep, Jackie rubbed her drowsy eyes and tried to suppress a yawn. "Thanks, babe." she sighed. Looking down at her left hand, she saw that her ring finger was still bare and the harsh reality was hard as she realized all that just happened had only been a dream. It was an awesome dream at least, and she hoped that one day it might come true. She felt like crying because she didn't know if it ever would, but she managed to keep her emotions in check. Luckily, Heath's voice jerked her attention away from the turmoil in her mind. "So, did you have a nice nap?" he asked. Forcing a smile even though she knew he would know it was fake, she answered. "Yeah. I must've needed it 'cuz I didn't even know I was tired."

Heath graciously didn't press her on the issue but she could tell he wanted to ask her what was bothering her. She was glad he knew her well enough to leave the matter alone for the moment because she really didn't want to talk about this right now. Her emotions were still far too raw from the dream she just had and she was struggling not to cry as it is. She knew she wouldn't be able to hold back if she talked about it. The last thing she needed right now was to be a blubbering idiot in public. Heath gently engulfed her hand with his and the connection gave her strength. She silently thanked him with a sweet smile that was genuine this time, and then she rested her head on his shoulder until the plane was safely on the ground.

Rejuvenated from the breif nap earlier, Jackie arrived at the arena with excess energy and was dressed in her gear earlier than usual. She was feeling a little edgy as she remembered the events of the week before, when Alex Riley had meddled in her match and then put his slimy mouth on her. She shuddered just thinking about it, almost dropping the comb she was using to smooth out her hair. Suddenly there was a tapping on her door. "Just a minute!" she called, struggling to gather her wits. What if it was Riley knocking on the door? Feeling a chill crawl up her spine, Jackie folded up the steel chair she had been sitting on and carried it over to the door. "Who is it?" she asked through the wood, trying not to sound nervous. "It's Wade! Open the bloody door!" came the reply. Even though that wasn't the nicest greeting, Jackie sighed with relief. She would rather have Wade's temper to deal with than the stench of Alex Riley. She leaned the chair against the wall beside the door and then reached to unlock it.

Upon opening the door, Jackie saw the towering form of Wade Barrett standing in the hallway, and beside him was Husky Harris. "Hey, guys. What's the haps?" she asked casually, glad her uneasiness was starting to fade. "Hello, dear. I'm here a li'le early because I need to talk to you. Due to the mishaps of last week, I can't risk you walking around in here by yourself. From this day forward, you are to be escorted everywhere. I wouldn't mind doing it myself, but I've business to attend to. That's why I brought Husky here with me. He'll be doing the honors for tonight." Wade announced. Jackie's jaw almost dropped. "But...!" she stuttered dumbly, "Where's-" She almost asked where Heath is, but that would be a vital mistake. What did it matter to Wade who decided to be her personal body guard? It would be too obvious why she would want Heath Slater specifically. She couldn't say anything.

Wade rubbed Jackie supportively on the back and managed an encouraging smile. "Don't you worry about a thing, it's no trouble at all. We Nexus have to look out for each other. Now I be'er be going. See you la'er." With that said, Wade was gone in a flash and suddenly Jackie was alone with Husky Harris. She looked over at him standing in the hallway just outside her private dressing room door and forced a smile. "Hey. I'm just about ready now. I guess you're supposed to accompany me then. I need to find the schedule to see who I'm wrestling tonight." she chatted neutrally. However, Husky has had a grin on his face since Jackie opened the door. "Yep. You're lucky I don't have a match tonight, 'cuz no one's gonna lay a finger on you with me standing right here." he promised. "No doubt." agreed Jackie honestly, and feeling secure despite the fact that she'd rather have Heath here instead. Perhaps it was a good thing he wasn't. Heath is way too much of a distraction, especially after that dream. "Anyway, let's get going. The show's about to start in less than an hour and I still have to tighten my abs." Jackie complained, stepping out of her dressing room and closing the door behind her.

Husky's eyes brightened at that statement. "No problem, doll. That's plenty of time, and I'll make sure nobody bothers you while you're workin' out. I guarantee it." he exclaimed as he walked right beside her down the hall. Jackie had a feeling he was going to enjoy this and was beginning to dread this night. Already she couldn't wait for it to end. She tried to step lively, but Husky was a little on the heavy side and she didn't want him to fall behind. Even though she wanted Heath, she was grateful for Husky's presence. It was better than being alone and as vulnerable prey for predators like Alex Riley. She slowed her pace a little, wondering what else was going to happen on this crazy day. Just as that thought crossed her mind, Husky spoke to her. "So, Jackie, I was just thinking, uhm, if you might've wanted to go somewhere to eat with me after the show. That is, I mean, if you don't already have plans." It took a moment for the information to sink into Jackie's brain because she was still thinking about riding horseback with Heath, but when she realized what Husky just said, she quickly snapped out of it. She stopped dead in her tracks. He had kept walking and had to turn back to face her. He had a confused look on his face. "What's the matter? You lost? I think the office is this way." he said, scratching his head and jutting his thumb in the direction of a random corridor.

"I'm in no hurry to get to the office. I need a minute to talk to you. Let's just clarify the meaning of that question you just asked me. Are you actually asking me out on like a date or something?" asked Jackie, feeling a little mortified. What is Heath going to think of this? Husky answered immediately. "No I'm not!" he exclaimed, but then replied on second thought, "Unless, if you wanted it to be a date." Jackie thought that was a pretty good answer, but it confirmed her suspicions completely. Her stomach dropped a little. She felt weird knowing that Husky obviously must like her. "You're trying to put words in my mouth, but it won't work." she said, feeling a little uneasy. A tiny little vision came into her brain that Husky might try to kiss her just like Alex did, and the uneasiness quickly spread.

"Okay, Jackie, relax. Why're you so uptight? I was only trying to be nice. So tell me, what if I did ask you out on a date? Would you say yes?" asked Husky hopefully. Jackie was almost too baffled to reply. She gathered herself, remembering that she had a match to get ready for, and said, "I'm sorry, Husky. I like you, but not in that way. If you still wanna have dinner sometime, that's fine with me but it can't be a date." Husky tried to look like he was not offended, but Jackie could tell that she hurt his feelings a little bit. She felt sorry for him. She really did like him, as a friend. "Why not? You ain't got no boyfriend!" he argued. It ripped at her a little when he said that, but Jackie was able to prevent herself from reacting.

"Husky, please don't take it personally. It's not because of you. Did you ever stop to think about the consequences? I doubt that Wade would allow us to see each other outside the ring." she warned him. In fact, she knew Wade wouldn't allow it. Way back when she and Heath first started seeing each other, Wade had caught them holding hands and the glare he gave them had said everything without him having to speak a word. Nexus is about war and beating people up. There was no time for sentimental stuff. It had crushed her deeply for what she had to do back then. She had to make Wade think the relationship had died before it ever took off, but no matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't stay away. She had been smitten with Heath from the very beginning.

Husky's response broke Jackie out of her dreadful reminiscence. "Ah, he won't give a crap! What's it to him anyway?" he debated, but Jackie didn't feel like arguing when she knew better. She couldn't make her point without revealing her secret, so the debate was completely futile. She sighed dejectedly. "Trust me, will you? I know him a lot better than you do, and I know he won't like it one bit. Please, just forget we ever had this conversation." she pleaded sincerely. Husky huffed sulkily and said, "Fine! You wanna go to the office now or what?" Not knowing how else to react, Jackie just nodded meekly and started walking.

Tony had never felt so battered in his life. Even after his first Tables, Ladders, and Chairs Match he hadn't been this sore. David Otunga hadn't shown much mercy in the gym the other day, pushing him to the limit. Even though Tony felt like he was about to pass out, David would pull him up again and say, "No pain, no gain, man!" It wasn't that the guy was trying to be an asshole. That was the farthest from the truth. In fact, Tony wanted to thank the man. Even though every muscle in his body was still screaming, it had given him the fire he needed to keep going. He kept thinking about the day he'll be the one dunking Alex Riley's head in a toilet bowl, and that was inspiration enough. Already, Tony felt like he was strengthening his build.

By the time Tony was done putting on all his gear, he was psyched and ready to go. He pulled on his armband with pride, anxious to make his debut as a member of the deadly Nexus. The band was loose and he had to tighten it a bit. As he adjusted it, David approached him, carrying a pair of twenty-pound dumbbells. "Yo, what's up, bro? You ready to do some curls?" he asked enthusiastically, pumping the weights to demonstrate. Tony tried not to groan but something like a whimper escaped his lips anyway. "Aw, come on, man, don't be a wimp! You can't go out there and wrestle your match lookin' like that! You gotta pump up them arms a bit if you wanna be intimidating." David added, to Tony's dismay. "Alright, coach." Tony conceded, taking the dumbbells, "How many do you want?" David grinned emphatically and said, "Well, I myself usually start with a hundred or two, but since you're a novice, I'll let you get away with fifty. You all stretched?"

Just as Tony was about to answer, someone interrupted by coming into the room. He turned his head to see Jackie walking through the door with Husky Harris right behind her. She looked a little unhappy as she crossed the room, but waved hello to her teammates as she passed. "Hey, Tony." she greeted when she came by, then eyed the dumbbells in his hands with confusion, "What's this? You finally taking to the weights? Well it's about time! Do I have you to thank for this?" She asked this of Otunga who proudly took credit for everything and said it was all his idea. "I'll have this kid toned up in no time. All we gotta do is get some meat on these bones and that'll make it that much easier for me." he said. "Thanks a lot." Tony said, taking it more as an insult as opposed to the compliment it was meant to be.

Jackie laughed at his retort, but it tapered off quickly when something across the room caught her eye. "Excuse me, guys. I better get loosened up myself. My match is coming up right after the opening contest." she said and turned away. Tony watched her go and he wasn't surprised when he saw her make a beeline straight toward Heath Slater. His attention was sharply pulled back to his trainer when he heard David reminding him of the task at hand. "Back to business, kid. It's time to get focused. You ready or what?"

Heath was using his t-shirt to polish his championship title and he was impressed with the nice sheen it had. He raised it up in front of him to examine, and it glimmered as it moved in the light. He could swear he could almost see his own face reflecting on the large front plate of the strap. "It's lovely." said a voice nearby, and Heath lowered his title to discover that Jackie was standing right before him. He couldn't suppress a grin. "Thanks. I'm glad _you_ like it. All this time, I thought it was just a piece of junk." he said sarcastically, making her giggle a little. "Well, maybe it used to be, until it changed hands a few weeks ago. It's not about the championship, it's about it's holder." she replied sweetly. She could tell he was flattered even though he should be used to her worshipful comments. He covered up pretty well though which was good because Justin had just passed by giving them an acknowledged glance. "Uh, thanks again. That's nice of you to say." Heath replied, darting his eyes around the room in search of Wade. He was glad he didn't see him anywhere.

"Well, I have an eye for talent. That's how I got accepted into the Nexus in the first place. But being that you're the champion and I'm not, I figured you might have some advice for me. I've got a title shot against Melina in a few minutes and I was hoping you could give me a pep talk... out in the hallway?" It was a hint if ever he heard one, and Heath eagerly jumped up from his seat. "Uh, yeah, sure." he said lamely, draping his shiny belt across the seat of his chair, "I might have a pointer or two." Jackie tried not to smirk at the double meaning of that statement, but then she realized he hadn't meant to phrase it in that way. Luckily, no one even paid any attention to them as the pair together headed for the door, except for Tony who noticed even though he was wincing from the pain in his straining biceps.

Thankfully the hallway was clear, and Jackie pulled Heath a safe distance away from the door so they could talk. "What is it, baby? You seem a little shaken. Did you happen to run into Alex Riley?" Heath asked with concern and anger all at the same time. That beating Riley got last week would be nothing compared to what Heath would do to him if he ever touches Jackie again. "No, I haven't even seen him. It's got nothing to do with him. You're not gonna believe this, but Husky just asked me out! I didn't-"

"What!" Heath interrupted, obviously surprised. "That's what I thought! I didn't even know he likes me. How am I supposed to live with this?" Jackie replied worriedly. "Shit!" Heath cursed, pushing back his hair out of his face, "What did you tell him?" Jackie's jaw opened as if insulted. "Well I said no of course! What did you think I'd say? Anyway, it wouldn't have happened if you had been around. How come you didn't take the job as my personal escort? It seems like Husky was way more willing than you!" She was struggling not to cry but her emotions were getting the best of her. This was bad because the opening of the show was just minutes away, but she couldn't stop it any more than she could stop a train. "Jackie, what are you talking about? Escort for what?" asked Heath, confused and upset at the same time. "Wade decided it wasn't safe for me to be alone at the arenas because of what happened last week. He personally dropped off Harris at my dressing room fucking door! I was so upset that it wasn't you! Why didn't you come?" she replied tearfully. "I had no idea! Nobody told me about this! I went to the gym and I just got here a half hour ago. Will you calm down? Your face is getting all red." said Heath, grasping her by the arms to stop her from pacing the floor, "Why are you so upset? It's not as bad as you're making it seem. You'll be fine. Just take a few deep breaths, okay?"

Jackie tried to shake off the wariness, but she was so charged by emotion right now that it was difficult. She inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly, trying to calm her nerves. "So what's next then? What do we do now?" she asked finally. Heath let out a long sigh of consternation as if he felt like he was completely defeated. "I think it's time we came outta the closet so to speak. We have no choice." he replied regretfully. Jackie's eyes went wide. "We can't! If we do that, you know what'll happen. Wade'll probably throw us out of the Nexus!" she reminded him, sounding horrified. "I don't care! I can see clearly that living like this has gotten to be too much for you. I can't stand to see you like this. If this is what being Nexus is about then I'll walk out right now with or without Barrett's dismissal." Heath declared earnestly, but that only made Jackie seem more desperate. "But we can't _not_ be Nexus! Just think about all those WWE Superstars you beat up and all the WWE Divas I beat up! They hold grudges, believe me, and we'll have no allies to protect us from their wrath! What the hell are we gonna do?" asked Jackie fretfully.

"I don't know, baby. I wish I knew." said Heath, reaching out to hold her face in his hands, "It's driving me crazy too, but I'll do whatever it takes just to be with you. None of this matters in comparison. I love you!" Jackie eyes glazed over with tears and she had to blink them back. "Really?" she asked softly, her eyes sparkling a little damply. Heath seemed offended. "Huh? You mean you can't tell? I'm disappointed in myself. I guess I'm gonna hafta work harder at it." he said, and finally Jackie was smiling. The tears and anxiety seemed to be tamed for the moment, but just as they were about to kiss, they heard a door opening just down the hall. They quickly jerked apart, looking extremely guilty no matter how hard they tried to mask it as Justin Gabriel approached them. "There you are. Show started ten minutes ago! What are you two doing out here?" asked Justin, eyeing them a little suspiciously.

Jackie quickly answered in a desperate cover up. Luckily, being a wrestler for the last few years had helped her perfect her improvising skills. "I was just asking Heath for some advice for my title match that's coming up in a few. I had no idea it was this late already. Anyway, thanks for your time, Heath." she said, all businesslike and the exact opposite of how she'd spoken to him a minute ago. "No problem. Any time." said Heath, just going along with it. They hadn't said a single word about titles or matches during the entire conversation. "Alright then come on, guys. Wade's about to lay out the game plan for tonight. Apparently he's onto a new exploit and it must be big because he's including everyone. We better hurry up and get in there before he gets pissed off. You know how impatient he can be at times." said Justin, and the three of them went back into the dressing room.

Wade wants the WWE Championship. He summed up his plans in a nutshell, and Jackie shifted her feet anxiously as she listened, distractedly looking at the clock. It was about that time she headed toward the stage entrance. Her match would begin in about five minutes, and boy was she ever ready. The Divas Championship would be a lovely addition to the Nexus' collection of titles. She couldn't wait to bring it back here to show off to everyone. It was way past her time to be a champion. Raising her hand subserviently, she said, "Excuse me, Wade. Sorry to interrupt, but my match is about to start. I can catch up on the details of this meeting afterwards if someone'll fill me in." Wade nodded agreeably and replied, "Very well. Husky, you better go with her. If anything happens to her out there, it'll be on your head." As Jackie headed for the door, Husky went after her, saying, "You can count on me, Boss!" and then they were gone.

Although Jackie had faced Melina many a time, tonight her opponent was really putting her to the test. Of course that was because the championship was on the line, and Melina refused to go down easy. After fifteen minutes of grappling, the Divas were turning sleek with sweat and it was hard for Jackie to kept a hold on Melina. This was bad because she needed a good grip in order to apply her finisher properly. That was usually the case in every match, but with Melina it was more difficult because she's so flexible and could pretty much bend her way out of any hold. Jackie had to resort to using strikes to take down the champion.

Currently, Jackie had the upper hand, Irish-whipping Melina into the turnbuckles and weakening her with a vicious running lariat. The blow landed across Melina's ample bosom, blasting her so harshly that she sank down to the canvas where she clutched her chest in writhing pain. Seeing an opportunity to slap on her finisher, Jackie grabbed Melina by the head to help her up. She could hear Husky at ringside, pounding his fists on the apron and cheering loudly for her as she set up for her variation of a face buster. After she completes this last maneuver, it would take only three seconds more before she becomes the Divas Champion for the first time in her career. The moment was so close that Jackie could almost taste it. She heaved up her opponent, but just as she was about to slam her down, something grasped her ankles. Losing her balance, she began to fall, and Melina shifted with the momentum and landed on top of Jackie in a cross body splash. Everything happened so quickly that Jackie had little time to react as the referee went down for the count. The weight was still holding her feet down and she couldn't kick out in time. She lost the match before she ever really understood what was happening. Melina rose up victorious, the referee raising her arm and rewarding her the championship as the ring announcer broadcasted the match's result.

Jackie felt the vise-like grip let her ankles free and she sat up in a befuddled state to see Alex Riley standing near the ring post, laughing at her. No one knew he'd been hiding underneath the ring all this time, waiting for the most opportune moment. Husky hadn't even seen him sneaking out from behind the apron and interfering in Jackie's match. When he saw him now, he lunged for him but was too slow for the much slimmer wrestler and Riley quickly darted out of reach. Husky chased after him, but Alex was long gone. Husky stopped at the top of the ramp and rested his hands on his knees to catch his breath from circling the ring and then running all the way up the ramp after Riley. Hardcore Tony appeared from backstage and raced down into the ring. Jackie was still sitting in the same place, looking shocked and dangerously close to tears. He helped her to her feet, consoling her the best he could with promises of revenge on Alex Riley. He was rubbing Jackie's shoulders, repeatedly telling her not to cry, when Husky joined them in the ring. He looked remorsefully at Jackie and apologized for not being able to protect her good enough, but she was so downtrodden at this moment that she couldn't even respond. They had to get her backstage before she melted down right here in front of everyone. Alex Riley had evened the odds, but as Tony and Husky escorted Jackie back to the locker room, Tony vowed to get their one-up back, and the sooner the better.

"That dirty little rat! I'll kill 'em with my bare hands!" said Heath irately when he heard the news. "Not if I do it first!" Tony seconded, just as angry. Seeing Jackie looking as blue as she did right now made all the guys in Nexus pretty mad. Alex Riley had made himself an enemy to them all. "I had her! You shoulda seen me!" cried Jackie, "You woulda been so proud of me! If it weren't for that jerk, Riley, I would be WWE Divas Champion!" Everyone agreed with that statement completely. It was time to take action against the menace that is Alex Riley. Not only did he force himself on Jackie, but he had interfered in a Nexus championship match. That was crossing the line far and beyond. This means war...

Later that night, Tony used his match to make a statement. He had already been hyped up from the work-out, but after what Riley just did, he was twice as jacked. He felt stronger than usual, and his adrenaline kept him on his toes and two steps ahead of his opponent, Santino Morella. He didn't care that they used to be locker mates and the guy had been pretty nice to him in the past. That's what it is now, the past. Tony is Nexus now and it was past time he started acting like it. He beat the crap out of Santino, finishing him off with a wicked neck-breaker/back-breaker combination and then pinning him for the three count. He rose up from the canvas, not even giving Santino a remorseful glance as the ref awarded him the match.

But Tony wasn't finished with his statement just yet. The beating was only the beginning. He pointed to his arm band, reminding everyone of his new brand. He asked for a microphone and made his first speech in the history of his career. "I hope you witnessed what I just did, Alex Riley, 'cuz you're next! Costing Jackie the Divas Championship is the biggest mistake you've ever made. I already hated you before that, but now I really can't stand you. Jackie isn't just a teammate to me, she's my sister, and what you did to her was really personal to me. I'm issuing a challenge right now. I want you in the ring with me, one-on-one, next week on Raw so I can make you pay for your mistakes. I'm gonna make you suffer so bad you'll wish you were never born."

Once Tony stopped speaking, Alex Riley appeared on the stage with his own microphone. The smug smirk on his face proved that he wasn't very impressed with Tony's performance in the ring. "Are you kidding me, Bones? You just beat up Santino Morella who can't even beat Hornswoggle and you think you're some tough guy now? Your confidence is laughable. You wouldn't last five minutes in the ring with me." he said meanly. "If you're so sure of yourself then you won't have no qualms about accepting my challenge." said Tony, "So what's it gonna be, Riley? Are we on for next week, or are you too chicken?" Riley laughed in ridicule and replied, "Oh we're on alright, buddy. In fact, I'll be looking forward to it. I can't wait to prove that I can beat you in any situation. See you next week, Bony Tony." As Riley arrogantly walked backstage, Tony called after him. "We'll see about that, meathead!" he shouted into the mike, but Alex wasn't there to listen.

The show was finally over and Jackie thought it hadn't ended soon enough. It had been a miserable day for her that had only snowballed from bad to worse to worst the longer it went on. She just wanted to be alone for awhile. Zipping up her suede coat, she was grateful that she was getting ready to walk out of this building at last. Just as she was about to head out the door, Husky approached her. "Hey, wait a minute. You weren't thinking about going out there alone, were you? I'll escort you to your car. It's the least I can do after my flub up earlier." he said apologetically. Jackie was tired of Husky shadowing her all night and the last thing she wanted was for him to escort her to the parking lot. She didn't want anyone escorting her anywhere, not even Heath. She had been scarred tonight and she wanted no company while she went someplace to lick her wounds.

It was then that Tony came to her rescue. "That's okay, Husky, I'll walk her. Besides, I have something I wanted to talk to her about. You about ready to leave, Jack?" he asked Jackie. Even though she just wanted to be alone, Tony's company would be less uncomfortable than Husky, and it wasn't smart for her to go out there by herself. Riley could still be lurking around somewhere. She didn't feel like arguing and just wanted to get out of there. Defeated, she said, "Yeah, let's go." As they walked down the hallway toward the exit doors, Jackie kept her eyes down on her feet and remained silent. Tony stole a glance over at her and saw the miserable look on her face. He felt so bad knowing that she felt that way. "How are you holdin' out, sis? You gonna be okay?" he asked, breaking the silence. She shrugged as if it didn't matter. "Sure." she lied. Tony only felt worse now. He had to say something to make her feel better.

"It'll be alright, Jackie, I promise. Did you hear? I issued a challenge to Alex Riley for next week and he accepted. I'm gonna whoop his ass extra hard just for you. How does that sound?" he said, trying to brighten the atmosphere. Jackie didn't seem to cheer up even a little. "Sounds good." she said in short. Tony tried something else. "I know you're upset because you practically earned that belt and that asshole fucked it up for you. Well, after I decapitate him next week, you can go and ask for a rematch and I know you'll win this time 'cuz I'll make sure every member of the Nexus is surrounding the ring so no one else can get involved." he said, hoping this idea would cheer her up.

However, her frown never even faltered. She stopped Tony in mid-stride so she could finally tell him what has been bothering her the most all day. "All that sounds great, Tony, but really I'm not so much upset about that as I am about Heath. I had this extremely vivid dream about him recently and he proposed to me! It seemed so real and when I woke up, I was so disappointed. I'm afraid I'll never get to live that dream because of my current situation. Nexus is priority and Wade's way too strict, but I can't leave Nexus because I need the security. But I can't _not_ be with Heath! You asked me not too long ago what I want for Christmas and I hadn't thought about it back then, but I've made my decision. The problem is, you can't give it to me because all I want is Heath, with no trials and tribulations. All I want is for my dream to come true." she explained, almost falling into tears again but she controlled herself.

"You like him that much, huh?" asked Tony, only now becoming aware of just how serious the relationship between her and Heath really is. "Yeah. But it's hopeless. We'll never last if we have to keep going on like this." said Jackie, choking up a little. "Just how long _has_ this been going on?" asked Tony, dreading the answer. "It started right after the finale of NXT's season one. I swear, sometimes I feel like it was only yesterday and sometimes I feel like it was ten years ago!" Jackie explained. "Holy crap, that was like six months ago! No wonder you're so upset. Man, there's gotta be something you can do." said Tony. "But what? I'm backed into a corner. I don't know where to go with this. I feel like I should just resign myself to losing Heath eventually. There's no way this relationship can last." said Jackie almost tearfully.

"If he feels the same way about you it'll last. Do you know how he feels about you exactly?" asked Tony, sounding wiser than his age. Amazingly, Jackie was able to put on a hint of a smile. "Yeah. Just tonight he told me he loves me! He never said that to me before. I know I was upset at the time but I could tell he wasn't just saying it to make me feel better." she said, squeezing her arms around herself as she remembered the moment precisely. Tony could tell his sister was completely besotted, but he knew she was one other thing. She was wrong about him not being able to give her what she wants for Christmas. It wasn't going to be easy, but it wasn't impossible. He still didn't know how he was going to make it happen, but he would think of something. "I have faith in you guys, Jack. I have a feeling everything is gonna work out somehow. Just hang in there, will you?" he said.

Jackie nodded, wondering how Tony could be right, but she was too weary to argue. "Okay, but I'm ready to get outta here now. This has been the worst day of my life and I just wanna go to bed." she replied, starting to walk again. Tony fell in step beside her, saying, "Is Heath staying with you? I don't think you should be lonely tonight." Pulling her faux fur hat over her head before they stepped out into the parking lot, Jackie said, "He's gonna meet me at the hotel later. You know we can't be seen leaving the arena together." Thinking this whole situation completely sucks, Tony just nodded silently in response while trying to formulate a plan. Christmas was still aways off, but at least it gave him more time to make sure he got this done right. He didn't say much more until they reached Jackie's car where they said goodnight and then went in their separate directions.

The following Monday was even cooler than the last, and landing in Baltimore wasn't the most welcome. The icy blast of air that greeted them when Heath and Jackie stepped off the plane was unpleasant. There was plenty of time to stop for lunch, so Jackie suggested they stop at a pancake house to get a hot mug of cocoa. Knowing her addiction to chocolate, Heath agreed that was a good idea. While he drove them to the IHOP, Jackie's cell phone began to ring. It was Tony and she guessed he was calling to check on her. She noticed they'd gotten a lot closer since he joined the Nexus. "Hey, bro. What's new? You ready to kick Riley's ass tonight?" she greeted when she answered the call. "Oh hell yeah! I can't wait. I've been anticipating it all week. In fact, I'm gonna meet Dave at the gym in a little while so I can jack myself up for the match." said Tony. "That's great, Tony, really. I'm proud of you." said Jackie sincerely.

"Thanks, sis. So what're _you_ up to?" he asked. "Oh, well Heath and I just landed in Baltimore and we're gonna have lunch before we head out to the arena." she replied. "Hey, I'm in Baltimore too and I haven't eaten yet either. Would you mind if I joined you guys? Dave's got me on this diet and if I don't follow it he says he won't train me no more." Tony explained. "Oh well he's right. If you don't eat right, the weightlifting is useless. Yeah, sure, you can meet us there. You know where the IHOP is on Merritt Boulevard?" Jackie asked. "Uh, not really, but I'm sure I can find it. Are you there now?" asked Tony. "We'll be there in fifteen minutes. Think you can make it?" asked Jackie. "Sure. See you soon."

As soon as Tony hung up with Jackie, he dialed Justin Gabriel's number. He knew that what he was about to do would get Jackie extremely mad at him and she might not ever talk to him again, but he had to do _something_. Justin answered on the third ring. "What's goin' on, Tonez?" answered Justin who had adopted Jackie's nickname for him. "Hey, dude, I hope you're in Baltimore. My frickin' car just got a flat and I'm stuck here at this IHOP by the airport. You think you can come pick me up?" Tony fibbed. "Oh, shit! Yeah, sure. I was just finishing up at the gym anyway. Do you got the address to the IHOP you're at?" asked Justin. "Uh, it's the one closest to the airport, you know, the one on Merritt Boulevard?" asked Tony. "I think so. I remember I passed one up on my way to the gym. Hey, do me a favor and save me a seat. Order one of them bacon cheeseburgers for me. I'll be there in fifteen minutes." said Justin. "Perfect." said Tony, "Thanks." Then the call was ended.

Jackie liked sitting in booths next to the window, especially this time of year when the leaves on the trees were turning all sorts of pretty colors. She and Heath were sipping from their steamy cups of hot chocolate while waiting for their meals to arrive. It was moments like this that Jackie liked the most. She didn't have to worry about Alex Riley, Wade Barrett or anything right now. The atmosphere was peaceful and quiet in the lightly populated restaurant. She took a glance at Heath from across the table, feeling her heart trip up a little when he lowered his mug from his mouth and she noticed he had some chocolate on his upper lip. She suspected he did it on purpose, if the sly smirk on his face was any indication. "You got chocolate on your lip. Here, let me get that." she offered with a giddy grin on her face and an excited glint in her eyes as she leaned across the table. She grabbed up his lip in her mouth just to suck on it and she thought it was the most delicious thing she'd ever had in her mouth. She savored it as if she was sucking on a Franco mint and letting it melt on her tongue.

"I knew it!" came a familiar voice beside them suddenly. Whoever it was sounded triumphant. Heath and Jackie broke the kiss and opened their eyes to see Justin Gabriel standing beside their table looking like he just solved a mystery. They stared at him in shock, looking like two kids caught with their hands in the candy jar just before dinner. They were too stunned to speak. Justin hadn't missed all those little exchanges between the two of them when they thought no one was watching. Last Monday night had given him the biggest clue of them all though. Jackie had said she and Heath were in the hallway talking about title matches, and Justin remembered feeling a little insulted that she hadn't asked him. _He_ is a champion too! But then he realized it was because she hadn't been talking to Heath about wrestling in the very least. She had been lying. Now that Justin thought about it, when he came out of the dressing room to look for them, they didn't seem like they'd been talking at all. He noticed the guilty expression on their faces right away and wondered what they had really been doing before he almost caught them. Justin couldn't believe he hadn't figured it out sooner.

As Justin sat down next to Heath without an invitation, he complained, "You know, I'm a little offended that you didn't tell me about this. I thought we were friends. We're tag team partners and you feel you have to keep secrets from me?" Heath snapped out of his panic and tried to defend himself. Jackie still had her jaw hanging open as he replied, "It's not just you. We haven't told anybody about us. Nobody can know because Barrett would kick my ass and then we'd be finished with the Nexus. I'm sorry we had to lie to you, but you can't tell anybody about this, _please!" _Justin could see the urgency in Heath's face, and looking over at Jackie, she looked almost as pale as Sheamus. He could see this was obviously a big deal to them. "Don't worry, I understand your plight. I have no reason to tell anyone, but anyway, where the hell is Tony?" said Justin, finally remembering the reason why he was here in the first place.

It was then Jackie finally snapped out of shock. "Oh yeah. He was supposed to meet us here. I hope he didn't get lost." she said. "What!" said Justin, "I thought he was already here. He called me fifteen minutes ago to tell me he had a flat tire and asked if I could pick him up." Understanding dawned and Jackie's eyes narrowed in anger. "Why, that conniving little...!" she began to say. "He set us up!" Heath finished for her. Justin looked from one to the other and back again, and wondered what was the big deal. It wasn't the end of the world, really. "Forget about it for now. You can reprimand him later. Since we're here, why don't we just have lunch? I'm starving!" said Justin, waving his arm up at the waitress, "Hey, can I get some service over here, please? Thanks!" Justin looked back at his friends and mumbled, "What a lazy broad. How long have _you_ been waiting?" Feeling so relieved that their secret was still safe, Heath and Jackie could only laugh at Justin's comments as if it was the funniest joke they'd ever heard. Justin looked at them with confusion and asked, "What's so funny?" In between laughs, Heath said, "Nothing. You're right, let's just have lunch."

It seemed to be one of those days again, and Jackie was beginning to dread coming to work. As soon as she pulled into the gated parking lot at the arena, she saw Husky Harris waiting for her. She guessed Wade had assigned him as her personal body guard again for the night even though he totally messed up last week. If that wasn't bad enough, as she drove a little closer, she now saw that Mike Mcguillicutty was there as well. Apparently one body guard isn't enough. Jackie tried not to react as she parked in the space right next to the car the guys were leaning against and then climbed out of her car. She hoped she didn't sound irritated as she greeted them. "Hey, guys. What do I owe for the welcoming committee?" she joked, trying to make light of the situation as she popped open the trunk to retrieve her suitcase. "You don't owe us nothing. Wade is really pissed about Riley costing you that match last week." Mike informed her, "He thinks extra security is in order, and we both agree." Husky took the suitcase from Jackie's hands. "I'll get that for you. So, where are we headed? Your dressing room?" he asked, wiggling his eyebrows.

Apparently their talk last week hadn't done any good because now Husky was flirting with her every chance he got. Jackie guessed he was going to take whatever he can get away with. This was going to get stale real quick and she wondered how long before she went insane. She knew it was going to be another long night and steeled herself for whatever was to come. "Yeah. You guys can wait right outside the door for me while I change, but I'll lock the door just in case. Can't be too careful, right?" she said just to spite Husky who sulked childishly during the entire trip through the locker room. "Thanks for doing this, guys. I promise I won't take too long. Just give me twenty minutes, okay?" said Jackie as she grabbed her suitcase out of Husky's hands and disappeared into her dressing room. Husky and Mike were left staring at a closed door and heard the metal lock slide heavily into place with clarity.

"Damn!" cursed Husky under his breath. Mike frowned at him and said, "What are you so disappointed about? What did you think, she was gonna let you stand in there and watch her undress? When Wade told us to keep an eye on her at all times, that's not what he meant." Husky was still pouting like a three-year old and said, "I was just gonna crack the door open only this much." He demonstrated the distance with his forefinger and thumb held slightly apart. Mike shook his head with disapproval. "What? Are you gonna lie to me and say you wouldn't take a little peek for yourself?" Husky tested him. Mike didn't answer, but Husky knew it anyway from the smirk that was twitching just on the corners of his mouth. "That's what I thought." said Husky smugly. "Shut up!" said Mike and changed the subject, "Let's play Paper, Scissors, Rock. I'm still 15 and Oh." Husky crossed his arms over his chest irritably and said, "I don't feel like it." Mike nodded knowingly. "Fine, but I'm not surprised... Chicken shit..."

Later that night, Tony was preparing himself mentally for his upcoming match when Jackie came rushing into the Nexus locker room. Trailing behind her was Mike Mcguillicutty and Husky Harris. They were throwing their fists out in front of them as they walked, as if they were playing some sort of game. In the end, Husky had his two fingers pointing out and Mike had his hand still in a fist. "Rock breaks scissors!" he said triumphantly as he hit Husky's hand with his fist. "Damn it! I lose _again_!" Husky bellowed frustratedly. Jackie sighed, rolling her eyes and shaking her head as she walked straight toward Tony. "They're driving me nuts already." she said in greeting. "My personal body _guards_ for tonight." she added with emphasis and annoyance, jutting her thumb behind her. Tony laughed even though Jackie was obviously having another bad day. "Sorry, didn't mean to laugh. But look on the bright side, at least you got protection." Jackie rolled her eyes again. "These two imbeciles? What good would they be? All I need is one more of them and I'll be accompanied to the ring tonight by The Three Stooges." Tony laughed again despite the look of aggravation on his sister's face, but he stopped abruptly when she glared at him.

"I can see why you're in such a good mood, Anthony. I bet you think you're so clever." said Jackie accusingly. Tony swallowed nervously. "Uh, what do you mean?" he said innocently, but knowing damn-well what she was talking about. "I ran into a friend during lunch break today. I bet you can guess who it was because you're the one who invited him." Jackie explained angrily. Tony didn't know how to respond. Exactly what could he say about what he did? "You promised me you wouldn't tell!" she reminded him in a forced whisper. Tony shrugged, still feigning innocence. "But I didn't tell. I said I wouldn't say shit and I haven't!" he defended himself. Jackie's face crinkled in anger and she reached out to choke him, but she was able to control herself before she got to him. She kept her fists balled at her sides to suppress the urge to strangle her brother.

"Remind me to power bomb you later." she said, sort of impersonating Moe Howard. "I'll make a note of it." Tony added in his own impersonation of Curly, and Jackie couldn't hold the smirk back. She had just mentioned the Stooges earlier so it was kinda funny what they just said. "Never mind. Justin's cool so I'm not as mad as I should be, but listen, Tony. Don't do that again. The more people who know, the more I'm at risk. What the hell were you thinking?" Jackie griped. "I knew Justin would be cool, and anyway it can't hurt. I figured, this way you got a little more freedom. You totally flipped last week and I thought it might ease your mind a little." Tony explained. "It's not Justin I'm worried about, you numbskull, it's Wade! I take back what I said earlier. I found the third stooge and I'm looking right at him." said Jackie meanly. "Hey, I was only trying to help. That's not cool, Jack." said Tony, feeling hurt by that comment.

"Well you can't help! There's nothing anyone can do to help me. Just stay outta my business, okay? I'll deal with it myself." said Jackie, looking a little ragged. Tony wondered if she'd been losing sleep lately and worried about her a little bit, but he was still hurt by what she was saying to him. He was starting to think he should just abandon his resolve to help her and stay out of her business just as she was requesting. "Alright, Jack, I got you. From now on I won't have anything to do with it, okay? I'm sorry. I didn't know you'd take it so bad." Tony lied. He knew exactly how upset she would get, and he had been right on the money. "I appreciate that." she said, finally seeming to ease up a little, "So, your match is coming up soon I take it?" Tony nodded but he didn't feel like talking about it. That would only make him nervous and he was already feeling a little edgy as it is. Now, to add to it, he would be feeling bad about the argument he just had with his sister which was the last thing he needed to have hanging over his head right now. He was having this match solely to defend her honor and now he was a little mad at her for how she was treating him when all he did was because he cares about her.

"Well, good luck out there. You want me to ask a couple of the guys if they could stand in your corner for moral support?" Jackie offered, sounding a lot nicer than she did a minute ago. "No thanks. I have to do this alone. I issued this challenge, and I can't make my point if I got dudes puttin' their two cents in, n'yah mean?" said Tony. Jackie almost laughed at the words he just said. "N'yah mean? You really have been spending time with Otunga." she replied and finally she and Tony were laughing. "Well, I gotta go, Jack. Check ya later." said Tony and left for his match.

Even though they had parted on a semi-forgiving condition, Tony hadn't been able to shrug off the ache from Jackie's words a moment ago. He was still thinking about it as he stood in the middle of the ring awaiting his opponent, who surprisingly was the last thing on his mind right now. He was staring steadily at the stage entrance, but not really noticing that Alex Riley still hadn't emerged from backstage yet. Riley's entrance music was rocking out on the speakers, but he was taking his time showing his face. Tony was starting to notice that he'd been waiting for awhile and began to wonder if Riley might've actually chickened out. He could hardly believe it. Just as he thought that, he felt a hard blast of forearms slam across his back and he fell down to the canvas from the force of it. The music stopped abruptly, replaced by gasps of surprise and shouts from the crowd in response as Alex Riley was picking Tony up by his head so he could drag him over to the corner where he repeatedly rammed Tony's face into the top turnbuckle. Some fans counted along with the bumps. Seven-eight-nine-ten! Riley let Tony free and without the support, he crumpled back down to the canvas.

Alex slipped out of the ring and rushed over to the announce tables. He pushed the bell ringer from his seat and folded it as he slid back into the ring. Tony was just now raising up on his hands and knees as Alex proceeded to smack him across the back with the chair. The referee was waving for the bell even as it began ringing. The ring announcer was broadcasting the winner as Hardcore Tony due to a disqualification, but Alex hadn't cared about winning or losing. When he accepted Tony's challenge last week, Alex hadn't said anything about plans on winning the match. He had only promised that he would beat Tony, and that was exactly what he was doing. He had dropped the dented chair onto the canvas and then lifted Tony back up. Quickly he hoisted him onto his shoulders and applied his finisher right onto the chair.

Just as Alex was getting up from the move, he looked over and saw several Nexus members rushing the ring. His eyes grew wide in fear and he darted out of the ring in a flash. He hopped over the guard rail and disappeared into the crowd where he came from in the first place. Even though Riley was long gone, Husky was trying to climb over the guard rail in pursuit. "I'm gonna get you, you little turd!" he shouted after him, but Mike and David were holding him back and talking him out of it. The Nexus members who had come down to the ring were helping Tony out of the ring and they all looked enraged at what had just transpired. This was the second week in a row that Alex Riley had gotten the best of them.

It was a rough morning for Jackie the following day. She felt like she was slowly spiraling toward Hell. Each week proved to be worse than the last and it was getting to the point where she was happier at NXT as opposed to Raw. A few weeks ago it had been the other way around. Now she likes the atmosphere in the locker room at NXT shows, knowing that Alex Riley was nowhere in the building and he wouldn't be permitted inside. She was grateful that she didn't have to worry about him tonight because she was feeling extra fatigued today. She felt like she hadn't slept in days, constantly worrying about Heath and still feeling scarred from being cheated out of the Divas Championship. To top it all off, she was feeling awfully guilty about the way she'd spoken to her brother before his match, especially after what happened to him out there. She felt like it was her fault. Tony must have been caught unawares because he was probably distracted from the argument they'd just had. Even though she was still a little upset about his IHOP scheme, he didn't deserve that. She decided she would call him as soon as the show is over to see how he was faring.

Putting all thoughts out of her mind as soon as she entered the arena, Jackie changed gears in her brain to focus on what was important at this precise moment. All she needed to worry about right now was to find her dressing room, get changed into her outfit and then meet up with her rookie for some pre-show coaching. When Jackie stepped into her dressing room, she was greeted by an unexpected surprise. Her NXT rookie, Kaitlyn, was standing there in front of the mirror and primping her hair. The younger girl heard when her pro came in and turned around with huge, doll-like eyes. "Oh, hi, Jackie! I was wondering when you were gonna get here. It gets so boring 'cuz there's no boys around. I can't wait to hear your stories about what you do at Raw. Tell me, did you see anymore cute boys?" babbled the girl nonstop.

Jackie stood there in the doorway with a stunned look on her face. She definitely wasn't ready for this. "Kaitlyn, what in bloody hell are you doing in my dressing room!" she nearly shouted, feeling like she was losing it. When was this craziness going to end? Now she couldn't even come to NXT without being harassed? "I already told you, I came to hear some more of your Nexus stories. Duh!" said Kaitlyn, rolling her eyes. "I don't want to talk about boys right now unless it's to tell you how annoying they are. Now will you get the hell out of my-" Jackie was yelling until Kaitlyn exclaimed loudly. "Oh my god! That's the biggest hickey I ever seen! It looks like somebody had a good time last night." said Kaitlyn in her annoying valley girl voice.

"What!" cried Jackie, dropping her coat and suitcase in front of the door and pushing the rookie out of the way so she could look into the mirror. She gasped in horror when she saw her reflection in the glass. The damn thing started from just underneath her left ear and reached halfway down her neck. She could see each and every tooth mark. "Scheisse! I look like I've been sleeping with a vampire!" cried Jackie dramatically. She made a mental note to give Heath a call right after the show. He was going to get an earful, after she calls Tony first of course.

Kaitlyn was giggling at what Jackie had just said and added, "Well, there's nothing wrong with that actually, as long as he's cute." Jackie turned around to face her rookie and said, "You're still here? I told you to leave. I'll be seeing you before the show begins but I have to change first. Do you mind?" Kaitlyn seemed too cheerful to be bothered by her pro's tone of voice. She was still smiling as she looked in the direction of the open door that Jackie was pointing at. "Well I don't mind if you don't. We're both girls so it's not like I'm seeing anything new. You can change while you tell me about last night's show. I bet you seen at least ten hot guys, right?" said the girl as she went to close the door.

Jackie was on the verge of screaming, but she grit her teeth to keep from raving at the girl. She was harmless really, just a tad bit dumb. Jackie didn't want to hurt her feelings. She knew how sensitive she is and she really is a sweet girl. "Listen, Kait, I really don't have time to talk about boys right now, okay? Maybe I'll tell you some stories after the show when I have more time to give you all the juicy details." she said, reopening the door and motioning the rookie into the hallway. Kaitlyn blinked at her with those huge eyes for a few seconds and then smiled and said, "Oh, okay! That sounds great, Coach!"

Relieved that the nerve-wracking girl was finally gone, Jackie closed the door and walked tiredly to the vanity. She plopped down onto the stool in front of the mirror and stared back at her reflection. She couldn't believe she'd been walking around all day with this monstrous thing on her neck and she hadn't even noticed. She had been too tired to notice. She just now realized how worn she was beginning to feel and it was starting to affect her. She needed to get her act together, but that was impossible with the frame of mind she was constantly in. In truth, she was no better than Kaitlyn. They were both very obsessed with boys. It was only natural that Jackie wouldn't have thought about the consequences whenever she was with Heath. It had been feeling so good at the time and she hadn't been thinking about paying for it now. Shaking her head with admonishment, she buried her face in her arms atop the counter, wondering how she was going to take much more of this.

Jackie rested her head there for an undetermined amount of time and was so deeply distressed that she hadn't heard the door open quietly behind her. The intruder was stepping heavily across the carpet toward her, alerting Jackie that someone was in the room with her. She raised her head up in alarm and turned to see who was there, fearing the worst. "So, does Prince Charming have a name?" said Kaitlyn, her eyes wide with anticipation, "I bet he's cute. You always know where to find the cutest boys. So where did you meet him? From the looks of things, I can tell he must be really great in b-" Jackie was screaming before she realized it and it shut Kaitlyn up at once. When the scream finally tapered off, Jackie had wild eyes and she griped almost madly, "I told you I'm sick of talking about boys! Why won't you just leave me alone?" Kaitlyn blinked at Jackie for a moment, seeming shocked by the outburst. "I forgot my purse and I just came back to get it. I couldn't help but ask a couple questions while I'm here. Alright, I'll leave you alone. Sheesh! I didn't know you got up on the wrong side of the bed today." said the rookie, grabbing her purse off the couch where she'd left it and then finally left the room for good.

This episode of NXT Season Three was nearing it's end, and always at the end of the show was the elimination of one of the Diva rookies. All the girls were lined up inside the ring, waiting for the revealing of the ruling. Jackie peered across the arena from her seat on the stage with the rest of the pros, and picked out her rookie in the middle of the line. Kaitlyn had been stressing all night about how nervous she was about getting eliminated. She has been struggling in the ring since the beginning, and two girls had already been voted out of the competition. She looked even more nervous now, clamping her hands together in front of her while she anticipated the results of tonight's voting. Jackie was really hoping for the best for the girl. Even though she was kind of annoying at times, Jackie kind of liked her. She was very respectful to her as an apprentice and always listened to her advice enthusiastically, and acted so proud to have Jackie as her pro. Jackie caught her several times in the backstage area bragging to the other rookies about having the best pro in this contest. To be quite honest, Jackie liked that a lot and it boosted her ego a little which was something she needed at a time like this.

The host of the show, Matt Striker, was finally bringing out the piece of paper which concealed the name of the rookie who would be going home tonight. There was an attentive silence as everyone waited to hear his announcement. He took his time unfolding the paper, building up the anticipation a bit more. Finally he had the paper open and he was reading the name. He looked up at the crowd and rose the microphone to his mouth. "I have the name of the Diva who has the least amount of votes for tonight." He paused, torturing everyone just a little bit more. "I'm sorry to say this, but, Kaitlyn has been eliminated!" he said finally. Even from where she sat, Jackie could see Kaitlyn's huge doe eyes sparkling with tears, but she did well holding herself together. Jackie knew the girl was extremely sensitive, and this competition meant so much to her. This has got to be a terrible blow. Jackie felt sorry for her.

Matt Striker was speaking now. "Kaitlyn, you are now the third Diva to be eliminated, and it's your turn to give your final speech. Would you mind sharing your thoughts?" he replied and then passed the microphone to Kaitlyn. The girl took a few seconds to gather herself, battling the threatening tears and hoping her voice didn't crack as she spoke. "I'm shocked actually. I don't understand why people didn't vote for me, because I am so loveable, and I really gave it my all out here. Wrestling means everything to me and it has always been my dream to do something like this. I'm grateful for even making it this far, but I promise I won't let it end here. I'll find a way to be in the WWE because I belong here. I was born for it. But I can't leave here tonight without giving credit to who it belongs to, and I wanna thank my wonderful pro, Jackie, who has taught me so much in only four weeks. I want to thank you for your patience and your genius and everything that you've done for me. You're more of an inspiration to me than I can describe."

Kaitlyn paused for a moment to choke back the tears that were coming, but she couldn't stop a couple that had slipped down her cheeks. She was smiling across the ramp at her pro though as she added, "I love the turtleneck sweater by the way. It's so stylish!" She winked at her while she made the inside joke, waved and blew a kiss at her pro. "Thank you! Goodnight, everybody! I'll be seeing you again soon!" she promised and then climbed out of the ring. Jackie met her halfway down the ramp, and Kaitlyn couldn't hold back the tears anymore when she saw her pro applauding her. The girls left the stage, each with an arm hooked around the other, and that was the closer of the show.

Jackie took Kaitlyn back to her dressing room to console her. She was sniffling pitifully the whole time they walked there and as soon as the door was closed, she burst into sobs. Jackie hugged her and let her cry as much as she wanted. She could understand the distress completely. She would feel the same way had she been in Kaitlyn's shoes and would hope that her pro would've done the same for her. The rookie needed this kind of support at a time like this. Jackie could use a little bit of companionship herself. She decided it wouldn't be a bad idea to hang out with Kaitlyn for awhile after the show, maybe grab a couple drinks. It might do her some good to have some female companionship for once. Most of the people she hung out with are guys and Jackie could use a female friend to share her opinions with. Kaitlyn would be a great friend to her. She's a great listener and they both like a lot of the same things.

Finally, after Kaitlyn's tears began to die down, she lifted her head off of Jackie's shoulder, wiping the wetness off her cheeks with the back of her hand. She looked apologetically at her pro and said, "I'm sorry. I'm so embarrassed, but you gotta understand. This competition meant everything to me and now I'm back where I started. I had so many hopes when I was picked to compete here and now I won't be going anywhere!" She seemed like she was about to go back into tears again, but Jackie's voice stopped her. "I already understand, and it's okay. I'm not just your pro, I'm your friend. That's what friends are for, right? Listen, this doesn't have to be the end of the road. There's many ways to get recognized in the WWE, but we'll talk about that some other time. Why don't we go get something to drink and I'll fill you in on all the nice asses I saw at Monday Night Raw last night?" The offer brought a smile to Kaitlyn's face. "Thanks, Jackie, you're the best. That would definitely cheer me up." she replied, so the two girls began to prepare to leave the arena.

A couple of drinks turned out to be several. Once Jackie had a nice buzz going, she couldn't stop there. All the mishaps and stress from the previous weeks were catching up to her and suddenly she was liking the pleasant numbness that was beginning to envelope her. Kaitlyn wasn't in a condition any better. She seemed nearly as trashed as Jackie was getting, but that didn't affect her interest in what Jackie was telling her in the very least. "So tell me, Coachie, which one of the boys in Nexus do you think has the nicest butt? I would say it's David Otunga, but that's an opinion coming from someone who's watchin' on TV. I'm sure you get a much better look since you're right there in the ring with them, so your opinion must be more accurate." said Kaitlyn, grinning expectantly for the answer.

Jackie held up a finger as if she were about to make a lecture and replied, "Well, that depends on what you mean by nice. You see, there's different levels of nice. I'm the expert on this, you know, so believe me when I tell you this. I could vouch for all the guys in Nexus to having nice butts, but as far as the nicest..." Jackie paused and scratched at her chin as if she hadn't really thought about it before. Her answer had always been Heath and will always be Heath, but it wasn't like she had actually bothered to check out the other guys to be able to make a comparison. "Hmmm! Well, you want me to be perfectly honest?" asked Jackie, messing with her rookie. "Of course! Who is it? Tell me!" Kaitlyn nearly begged, almost falling out of her seat as she leaned closer to Jackie with excited expectancy.

"Without a doubt, the guy with the nicest ass is Husky Harris, hands down!" said Jackie, trying not to laugh. "You're joking?" asked Kaitlyn, crinkling her nose. Jackie couldn't help it anymore and began to laugh. "April Fools!" she said, howling with laughter. Kait looked confused. "Today's April Fools Day? Really?" she asked, making Jackie laugh even more. "I can't believe you fell for it! You're drunk!" she accused her rookie. "No, _you're_ drunk!" retorted Kait in return. "Not as drunk as you are!" Jackie shot back. "Nuh-uh, not as drunk as _you_ are!" was Kait's comeback.

It was then Jackie felt her cell phone vibrating in her pants pocket. She pulled it out, and could faintly hear the ring tone over the medium din inside the club. She sang along with one of her favorite songs: "..we live to win another victory, our sacred scars.." until she answered. "Good evening! You have reached the answering machine of the Grimm Reaper! I am currently not available to answer your call, but if you leave me your name I'll come over to chop you at my earliest convenience." Kaitlyn was laughing so hard that Jackie thought she might piss her pants.

"Jackie?" asked the caller, "It's me, sugar. Is everything okay? How was the show?" Jackie sobered up a little bit as she recognized Heath's voice. She had meant to call him after the show and had forgotten all about it. Come to think about it, she hadn't called Tony either. "Oh, sure, everything's hunky-dory. My rookie was eliminated from the competition tonight, but other than that, everything's okay. Oh, and I found that lovely new beauty mark you made on my neck. Real nice artwork there, Picasso. Thanks a lot!" said Jackie grumpily. "Jackie, why are you talking like that? Have you been drinking?" asked Heath worriedly. "L'il bit. Don't worry! Me and my girl is just chillin' and havin' a brew and playin' some craps. It's all good, dog!" said Jackie. Heath was a little hesitant to hang up, but he saw no point in carrying on this conversation for much longer. Jackie obviously wasn't herself at this moment. "Okay, sugar. I'll let you go then. I just wanted to see how everything went at the show. After you didn't call when you said you would, I got kinda worried. Will you call me tomorrow sometime, whenever you get the chance?" he said regretfully.

Even though Jackie was quite drunk, she could still hear the cheerless tone in Heath's voice and she started to feel bad. "You can count on it. Expect to hear from me no later than ten o'clock." she promised, then started to feel a little blue again herself as she added, "I really miss you." That seemed to ease Heath's mind a little because he sounded more upbeat when he answered. "I miss you too. Talk to you tomorrow, sugar. Take care of yourself, will you? Goodnight." he replied, and Jackie wished him a goodnight in return before they hung up. As she shoved her phone back into her pocket, she realized Kaitlyn had been listening to the entire conversation. She had her chin propped up on her elbows, her huge eyes staring with interest. "So Prince Charming's real name is Picasso, huh? That's a weird name, but I like it." she replied with a grin and Jackie couldn't hold back a whoop of laughter. "Okay, whatever. Listen, I'm exhausted. It's been a long night for the both of us, don't you think? I wanna go to sleep, what about you?" she suggested, and Kaitlyn agreed.

This week when Jackie showed up at the arena for Monday Night Raw, there were three people in the parking lot awaiting her arrival. This time she wasn't upset because one of them was her brother and she was relieved to see him standing on his own two feet. When she stepped out of the car, she resisted the temptation to tease him about her being greeted by the Three Stooges, but she didn't want to risk insulting him considering what happened last week. "Hey, bro. How are you feeling?" she asked instead. "I'm okay. I've taken worse bumps than that! It'll take a lot more than a wimpy little chair shot to take me down." said Tony, "So how about you? How have you been?"

"I'm still here, aren't I? Anyway, do you know what's on the books for tonight? The sooner we get started, the sooner we can leave." said Jackie, pulling her luggage out of the trunk of her car. Before Tony could answer, Husky was pushing his way into the conversation. "What am I, invisible? Hi, how are ya? Can I get your bag?" he said all in one breath and taking the load off of Jackie's hands. "Hi, Husky. Hi, Mike. I wasn't ignoring you, I just have a few things to clear up with my brother." said Jackie, trying to prevent an annoyed monotone. She wondered what kind of flirtatious comments Husky was planning on throwing at her tonight. She swears he spends all his time thinking them up all week long. He never ran out of new ones. "Let's go inside, shall we?" Jackie suggested, so the group started making their way toward the entrance doors.

As they walked, they heard a voice calling to the side of them. "Jackie! Hey, Jackie! Over here!" Everyone turned their heads and saw a young girl coming their way. She was waving at them as she was walking in a fast clip toward them which seemed difficult considering the high heel boots she was wearing. As the girl neared them, Tony couldn't take his eyes off her. She must be the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen. He couldn't help wondering who she is. She must be a friend of Jackie's since she obviously knew her name. Finally she caught up with them and she was smiling happily at Jackie, her pink lips glossy from the street lamps. "Hey, girlie! I bet you're surprised to see me, huh? So are these your Nexus buddies? I would so love to meet them. Would you mind introducing us?" the girl was babbling in as fast a clip as her gait had been.

Jackie seemed baffled again which was usually the case when she was around Kaitlyn. Normally Jackie was the hurried one, but even she couldn't keep up with this girl. "Kait, what the hell are you doing here?" she asked without thinking. "Well I came to visit you of course. I mean, it's not like I got anything to do right now anyway. It's not like I have a job to be at or anything. I knew you wouldn't mind now that we're best friends and everything. It's really awesome having a friend in the WWE. I bet you could even get me inside-" Jackie cut her off abruptly. "Wait a minute. Slow down. You could've called me to tell me you were coming. I would've liked to have been more prepared. I'm on my way to work and I can't visit with you right now. You'll have to wait until after the show." she explained.

Kaitlyn looked a little disappointed. "But I came all this way to see you. I took the last seat available for my flight just to get here. I had so much fun with you at the club last week and I was so looking forward to hanging out tonight. I was hoping you could get me into the arena so you can introduce me to your friends." she hinted again, then her eyes shifted to the young man standing next to Jackie, noticing that he had been staring at her. "Wow, Jackie! You're so lucky to be surrounded by all these cute boys. Who is this?" she asked, batting her eyes at Tony. Jackie had a feeling this was going to be another long night yet again and sighed to try to cool her nerves. "This is my brother, Tony, and these are our fellow Nexus members, Mike and Husky. Guys, I'd like you to meet my NXT rookie, Kaitlyn." The girl was beaming widely at the males, loving their reaction of round eyes staring back at her.

Tony took this as an opportunity to make an impression. He reached out and took Kaitlyn's hand to press her knuckles to his lips. When he raised his eyes back up to her face, he saw that she was loving the attention. "Well I feel like an ass. If I had known _you_ were my sister's rookie, I would've tuned into NXT since the start of the season. I can't believe I've been missing this! I'll make sure to watch it from now on though." he said to Kaitlyn's delight, but Jackie spoiled the moment by informing him of one important thing. "You're too late for that. She was eliminated last week. Listen, why don't we get inside? It's not exactly summer out here!" she complained, urging everyone to get moving. It was easy for Kaitlyn to sneak right in the building. Tony made sure of that, blocking her from view of the security guards as they walked through the VIP entrance and into the locker rooms.

Jackie had thought that she'd managed to escape the unlikely visitor and she hadn't known that Kaitlyn was there until she heard that voice. "So what are you guys planning on doing tonight? I hope you're thinking of kickin' somebody's ass 'cuz I think it's really hot when you're gangbanging! And I'd like to add-" Kaitlyn stopped talking instantly when Jackie turned around and stared at her. Jackie tried to maintain calm as she replied, "How'd you get in here? You're not an employee! You can't be in here. I told you I can't hang out with you right now. I have a job to do. I'll call you after the show, alright?" Kaitlyn acted as if she'd just been shot. She even looked a little pained as she held her hand up to her heart and her painted eyebrows tilted. "But I came here to try to get a job! I wanna be in the Nexus with you! I've been a fan ever since the beginning and that's why I was so thrilled when I found out you were gonna be my pro. It's my dream to be in the Nexus! _Please_, Jackie, I will do anything!" she begged.

Jackie couldn't believe what she was hearing. She was feeling as if everybody views her as the go-to girl. How many more rookies would come to her begging for a spot in the Nexus? Kaitlyn was now her fourth. "You can't be serious." said Jackie, still in disbelief and her tone showed it. Kaitlyn looked offended. "Of course I'm serious! You know me better than that, 'cuz we're best friends forever! And besides, I think it would be good to have another girl in the Nexus so you won't be the only one anymore. It would be so cool! We could share dressing rooms and you could tell me more stories about-"

"Kaitlyn!" shouted Jackie, cutting her off. The rookie blinked at her, subdued for the moment. "Will you slow down for just one minute? I'll say it one more time. We'll have to talk about this after the show. I'll have to think about this first, alright?" Before Kaitlyn could respond, Tony said, "I think Kaitlyn has a good idea there, Jack. Nexus is about strength in numbers. Having her in the dressing room with you would definitely be a benefit."

"I second that notion." said Mike Mcguillicutty, liking the idea of having Kaitlyn around. "Me too!" added Husky with a grin. It was obvious why they were all for the idea, if the bug-eyed stares weren't telling enough. Jackie sighed in exasperation. "Well there's nothing I can do about it now! She sprung this up on me last minute! I just got here! I haven't even gotten to my dressing room yet! Will you let me get settled first?" she complained, feeling backed into a corner. "Thanks a lot, Jackie! You're the bestest coach I ever had! In fact, you're the bestest friend I ever had!" praised Kaitlyn all in one breath. "Uh, thanks." said Jackie, just wanting to be alone for a minute to think. She glanced at her watch. "Oh, it's gettin' late! I better get changed. See you later, Kait!" she said and turned down a corridor before anyone could say another word. "Wait for me!" shouted Husky, chasing after her. Mike went along as well, leaving Tony alone with Kaitlyn. He smiled at her and said, "I gotta get going too, but it was a pleasure meeting you and I hope to see you again soon." Kaitlyn was grinning widely at his words. "You will if your sister can get me in the Nexus. Do you think she will?" she asked hopefully, clasping her hands together as if in prayer. Tony nodded with certainty. "Oh yeah. I can tell you from experience, she can. She is brilliant!" he said with all honesty. Kaitlyn beamed widely. "Well, see you later. Bye!" said Tony and then disappeared down the corridor where the rest of the Nexus had gone.

The entire Nexus was standing in the middle of the ring and Wade was going on one of his tirades. Everyone was listening, except for one or two people in the ring. Tony was one of them. No matter how hard he tried not to let it, his mind kept going back to Kaitlyn. He felt cheated that he'd never bothered to watch the third installment of NXT, now that he knew what he'd been missing. He wondered what it would be like to witness her in a wrestling match. He couldn't decide if she was a submission wrestler, or maybe a striker. He decided he would log onto youtube as soon as he got home and look up some footage. He hadn't paid attention to a word Wade Barrett was saying.

On the other side of the ring, Jackie was in the same boat. Though Wade was standing right next to her, it was like he wasn't even there. All she could think about was what would happen after the show is over. She couldn't wait to be alone with Heath again. It always seems as if it's been too long. Her restlessness was understandable due to the fact that the show would be ending in less than ten minutes. This is the last segment of the night, and after that, she could go straight to her dressing room to shower and get ready to leave. She stole a glance over at Heath who dared to stand right next to her in the ring. He turned his head just enough to make eye contact and they exchanged tiny smiles briefly before quickly turning their faces forward again.

"Mark my words! I _will_ be WWE Champion!" Wade announced into the microphone, seeming to finally be concluding his lecture. The smug look on his face confirmed it, and when he nodded his head, the Nexus began to exit the ring. As usual, the group departed with a multitude of boos to conclude another show of Monday Night Raw.

Jackie couldn't get to her dressing room fast enough. Husky could barely keep up with her as she made sharp turns around each corner in the locker room. Mike and Tony were right behind her though. "So, Jack, have you thought about Kaitlyn's proposal at all yet?" asked Tony out of the blue. Jackie threw him a suspicious glance. "Why?" she asked. "Oh, I was just wondering. I was kinda hoping you would get her inducted." Tony replied. Jackie looked even more suspicious now. "You like her, don't you?" she teased. Tony shrugged nonchalantly and changed the direction of the conversation without answering the question. "You failed to tell me your rookie is so hot! That's bogus!" he said accusatorily. Jackie huffed. "How would I have known that you would think she's hot? I don't look at females like that." she defended.

"Well you had to at least notice she's pretty." said Tony. "This conversation is ridiculous! Look, I know why you want me to get Kait into the Nexus. You like her because she has big boobs and a big butt, and big everything!" Jackie replied knowingly. Tony smirked and said, "So you _have_ noticed!" Jackie frowned and changed the subject, "Anyway, if I do decide to talk Wade into inducting Kaitlyn into the Nexus, it'll be for my own reasons only. Besides, _you_ owe _me_, not the other way around." she reminded him, just like Tony knew she would. "So, are you gonna do it or not?" asked Tony stubbornly. "I haven't decided yet." said Jackie just as stubbornly just as they came up to her dressing room. "Thanks for the escort, guys. See you next week!" Jackie replied hurriedly and disappeared into the room without another word. Husky then caught up with them, looking a little winded. He looked at Tony and Mike, seeing that Jackie had already gone. "Ah, man! I didn't even get to say goodbye!" he complained, sounding a little winded. Mike grinned and said teasingly, "Maybe it's time to lay off the Twinkies, huh?" Husky punched him on the arm for his efforts and said, "Shut up!"

Jackie made sure the door was locked tight. Exhaling loudly, she began to prepare her mind for the evening ahead. She wondered what Heath had in mind _this _time. The thought stayed with her while she unlaced her boots, and progressed while she removed her wrestling gear. It was a full-blown fantasy by the time she was completely undressed. She grabbed a towel, some soap and shampoo, and then headed into the shower. The thoughts in her mind remained while she washed her hair, and it continued while she scrubbed her body. It was no wonder that she never heard the footsteps in the room. She didn't even know someone was there until she felt a prickling sensation on the back of her neck that someone was watching her. She whipped her head to the side when the curtain was jerked back and saw Alex Riley grinning at her as he pulled her out of the shower. She screamed loud enough to hurt his eardrums, and he grimaced from the pain, covering his ears.

Jackie didn't know where she was going to escape to, she just knew she had to get away from here. She bolted out of the bathroom, shrieking in terror. "Hah-hah! Nice ass!" said a vile voice just behind her, and then she felt two strong arms grasping her harshly around the waist. "Where do you think you're goin', sweet thing? There's nowhere to run." Alex pointed out, ending his sentence with an evil laugh that even Darth Vader would be proud of. He was crushing her in between his arms and against his chest as he took the liberty to run his hands over all kinds of curves, and Jackie was shrieking with disgust the entire time. "Will you shut up?" Alex complained with a frown as he pinned her back onto the floor and clamped a hand over her mouth. His restraint was so heavy atop her that Jackie could barely resist when his other hand clamped over a breast. With the hand so tightly over her mouth, her screams were toned down to pitiful whimpers but her eyes were round as saucers with fear.

Suddenly there was banging on the door and a rattling of the doorknob. "Jackie? Is that you screaming?" asked a voice through the door which Jackie thought might belong to Husky. Riley jerked his head in the direction of the door, cursing under his breath, angry about the interruption. The distraction was enough for Jackie to strike out with a knee into his groin. Alex cried out in agony the same time he released his grip and rolled off of his victim. Jackie was jumping up and screaming all at once. The pounding on the door sounded more like kicking now as Jackie picked up the steel chair nearby, folded it and popped Riley on the head with it, knocking him out cold. At that moment, the sound of wood splintering accompanied all the other noise as the door crashed open and half the Nexus came stumbling through the broken doorway, Husky in the lead. It was his cowboy boots that ultimately busted the door down. When his eyes took in the scene, they went wide and his jaw dropped open when he saw Jackie standing there wearing nothing but a thin film of soap, her damp hair clinging to her shoulders. She screamed again and cowered behind the steel chair she was holding even though it was a little bloody.

Heath, who had been one of the guys who helped bust open the door, pushed his way past the guys and wrapped Jackie with the towel that had been left splayed nearby on the floor. She dropped the chair to the floor with a clatter and curved into Heath's chest, sobbing uncontrollably. "What happened, baby? What happened in here?" he asked urgently, holding her despite the company. He couldn't just not console her right now. All Jackie could do was cry onto his chest. Heath looked at his comrades and started barking commands as if he was Wade Barrett. "Would somebody get that guy outta here? Show's over! Why don't you guys get lost? Jackie would like some privacy, don't you think?" Justin and Husky dragged the unconscious Riley out of the room, not saying a word. In fact no one said anything, looking quite grim about what just happened. They were all silent as they filed out of the room, closing the door behind them, leaving Heath standing there holding Jackie who was still crying onto his already damp shirt.

"Jackie, are you okay? Did that bastard do anything to you? Did he hurt you?" Heath asked, petting her hair comfortingly as he struggled to control his own emotions. He wanted to kill Alex Riley right now, if Jackie hadn't done it already. She was finally getting a hold of herself as she lifted her face away from his chest, sniffling and wiping away tears. "My door isn't locked while I'm away. Riley must've hidden somewhere in here while we were in the ring and waited until I locked myself in." explained Jackie in a tearful voice, "I didn't even realize he was in here until he grabbed me out of the shower!" Heath shook his head angrily and grit his teeth, making plans to bash Riley's face the first chance he gets. He was already imagining it when he heard Jackie continue her story of woes. "I can't believe the whole Nexus just saw me naked! There's no way I can show my face next week!" she cried in mortification, burying her face back in Heath's arms. "Well, at least your brother wasn't there. You're lucky he ran into your rookie. He stayed in the locker room because he was too busy flirting with her. And Wade wasn't there either because, well, you know Wade. You know how lazy he is." he said to try to make her look on the bright side.

However, he knew it hadn't worked when Jackie continued to pout. "That doesn't make me feel better. Anyway, you better not hang out here for too long. The guys'll start to think something's up." She glanced nervously at the closed door, but Heath's voice brought her attention back on him. "It doesn't matter anymore. All of them already know about us." he informed her. He watched her eyes for a reaction and when he saw her pupils shrink, he regretted what he had done. "_What_?" she whispered slowly. "I told them, just after the show." he admitted, and when her expression grew harsher he added, "They're my friends. They don't mind. You don't have to worry about it." That didn't ease her mind at all though. She still looked as pale as a ghost. "And Wade...?" she asked in a weak whisper, and Heath thought he might have felt her tremble within his arms. "He still doesn't know. He doesn't need to know." he replied, but Jackie still looked like she was about to faint. He tried to sit her down to rest for a moment, but suddenly she was gently pushing away from him.

"I need a vacation." she announced. Heath nodded in agreement. "Yeah, that sounds great. I could take one at the same time and we could fly out to Maui for a week!" said Heath, letting himself indulge in the fantasy for a moment because he knew they couldn't at this time. Things were too hot in the Nexus right now. "I'm serious! I'm gonna tell Mr. McMahon that I suffered a concussion during my match tonight and then I'm gonna take a break from wrestling for awhile. I need it." Jackie announced sincerely, feeling her stomach sink when she saw the look on Heath's face. She could see he was unhappy about her decision clearly, and she could even see the lump bobbing in his throat as he tried to swallow. "When will you be back?" he asked sadly, knowing he wouldn't be able to make her change her mind. "I'm not sure. I'll know when I'm ready." Jackie said regretfully. Heath could feel his own stomach sinking now. "Do you want me to call you, or should I wait for you?" he asked even though he hated the question because he feared the answer. Jackie seemed depressed as she replied, "I'll call you." Heath's choked response was, "When should I expect to hear from you?" Her bottom lip was trembling as she replied, "I don't know. I just need some time away to review my life. Things are getting way too hectic around here and it's wearing me out."

Heath nodded his understanding even though he hated everything about what she was telling him, but he couldn't argue. If she wants her space, he has to give it to her no matter how bad he didn't want to. "Okay, sugar. Take care of yourself. I'll be missing you." he said as he grasped her chin with his two fingers and bent his head down to kiss her goodbye. She didn't really give it her all, and Heath's heart was aching when he pulled away. He stared into her eyes which were sparkling with wetness and he couldn't stand it. "You'll tell Wade for me, won't you? I just can't bear to see anyone right now." Jackie informed him. Feeling an ache forming in the pit of his stomach, Heath answered, "Of course, sugar." He held her for another moment, struggling to stay strong. At last he spoke. "Well, I guess I'll see you later." he said at last, and then left the room, closing the door quietly behind him. The action made Jackie feel utterly alone and she collapsed onto the floor in a burst of tears.

As Heath walked down the hallway, he was feeling strangely numb. A melancholy was engulfing him from all directions. It was so profound that it was like a physical pain. If he wasn't still wearing his wrestling trunks, he'd have his hands jammed into his pockets. He kept his head down as he stepped back into the Nexus locker room. As soon as he opened the door, he could hear some of the guys complaining adamantly about how angry they were about Alex Riley. "It's too bad we were a minute too late. I would've loved to have been the one who knocked out that little shit with the chair." Husky was saying. "Well we made up for it by taking out the trash. The dumpster is just where that dirtball belongs." Mike added. Heath just ignored them as he stepped up to his locker to start packing his bag. He was shoving his championship belt into his duffel bag when Tony came up to him, Kaitlyn right beside him.

"Hey, Heath. I heard what happened. Sorry I didn't come along to help out, but I was a little distracted, as you can see." he said, indicating the girl he was with, then he noticed the distraught look on Heath's face. "Hey, you don't have to look so upset. Is there something I don't know about? Jackie's okay, isn't she?" Tony asked, looking worried. Heath zipped up his gym bag and turned to face Tony. "Not exactly. She just told me she's planning on taking a vacation on injury leave. Said something about a concussion." Heath informed him. Both Tony and Kaitlyn gasped with concern. "Oh no! I better go see if she's alright!" Kaitlyn announced, but before she could race off, Heath grabbed her arm and pulled her back. He shook his head rigidly. "She's not injured. It's just her excuse to take a break. She doesn't want to be bothered right now, so I suggest we just leave her alone." he explained.

Even though Heath was still wearing his ring attire, including his Nexus shirt and armband, he was slipping on his coat and hat. Tony looked at him in confusion. "Aren't you gonna change before you leave?" he asked, pointing at Heath's wrestling boots and kneepads. Heath shook his head. "There's no time. I gotta get outta here! Do me a favor, will you, Tony?" he requested. "Sure, man. What'd you need?" consented Tony cooperatively. "Would you mind informing Wade Barrett about Jackie's plans? She's not up to it, and I can't tell him. I gotta go!" Heath announced, seeming rushed as he looked anxiously at the clock. Tony thought he was acting really weird. It seemed to him like Heath was suffering pretty badly from Jackie's news and wondered who he should worry about the most. Jackie has been depressed for weeks, and right now Heath looked like he was on the verge of a meltdown. It was no wonder he was in a hurry to get out of there, and Tony didn't try to detain him any longer with needless questions when Heath grabbed his bag and rushed out of the room without so much as a farewell, coat open and bare legs and all.

Tony turned his head toward Kaitlyn who seemed just as worried as everyone else. "I think we should go check on her anyway. I bet she could use a friend. She did it for me when I needed her, so the least I can do is be there for her." she replied, but Tony shook his head, agreeing with Heath. "I think we should take Heath's advice and leave her alone. If I know my sister as well as I think I do, I have a feeling she wouldn't want the company. The best thing we can do for her now is let Wade know she won't be back next week. Besides, I got a few things I wanna run by him anyway. Wanna come with me?" asked Tony. Kaitlyn's eyes brightened. "Sure!" she replied enthusiastically and followed Tony to Wade's office.

Wade was doing deltoid exercises when Tony and Kait walked into the room. Kaitlyn was staring in slack-jawed awe when she saw the bulky arms, traps and delts bulging underneath the tight t-shirt. She didn't even notice the grumpy look on the Englishman's face because of the interruption. "The show is over, Anthony. You're free to leave at any time. How many times do I have to tell you not to bother asking me when you can go?" he complained, so intent on reprimanding his disciple that he didn't even notice the girl in the room standing just behind Tony. "I know, you don't have to remind me. I came on some other business. Think you can spare me five minutes?" asked Tony respectfully. Wade just sneered down at him, still holding the dumbbells in his hands. Kaitlyn couldn't tear her eyes away from his bulging chest that was just about even with her face. She was enthralled. "Three minutes?" Tony improvised. "Make it quick!" Wade ordered.

"Well, I'm afraid you're not gonna like this, but apparently Alex Riley managed to get at my sister again and she's planning to take some time off of wrestling for awhile. She won't be with us on Raw starting next week and her return is undetermined." Tony informed him regretfully. That was when Wade's ears were suddenly turning red with rage. "Wha?! And she couldn't even come tell me this in person! She can't just disappear at a time like this! I need her here! She's the most important person in the Nexus! She's the main key to my plan to become WWE Champion! Confound that blasted Alex Riley! I'll baby-sit Jackie myself if I have to, but get her back here!" raved Wade angrily. Tony had to defend Jackie, and he had to think fast. "Well she was hardly in any condition to tell you this herself. She's suffering from a concussion and won't be in any condition to take part in any of your plans." said Tony, surprised at his boldness.

Wade was struggling with two emotions at the moment. While he wanted to put Tony in his place for talking back, he was also concerned about Jackie's condition. "Bloody Hell! I guess I'll have no choice but to put my plan on hold. You will keep an eye on her while she's gone? Check in on her and let me know how she's doing?" he requested, showing some human emotion for once. "You bet." Tony conceded, then added, "Oh, and I have a suggestion, if you don't mind. I don't know when Jackie is coming back to the ring, but when she does, don't you think it would be a good idea if she had a companion with her? What I mean is, you could bring in another female in the Nexus so Jackie can have a friend, you know?"

Wade seemed to be thinking about it and that was when he finally looked at Kaitlyn. "I suppose this is the girl you have in mind. Who is this, and what can she do?" Well she sure can talk a lot, thought Tony but he couldn't say that. What did he know about Kaitlyn to answer this question? Not much. "Well, sir, this is Kaitlyn. She competed in the third season of NXT and she wants a spot in the Nexus." said Tony briefly, not knowing what else to add. He wished Jackie was here. She already knew the girl pretty well and would know exactly what to say at a time like this. "Is that so?" asked Wade with interest, "Tell me why I should let her in the Nexus?" Tony was about to reiterate that Jackie would be safer, for one thing, but it was then that Kaitlyn spoke for the first time since they walked into the room.

"I suppose I should be honest and admit that I was just eliminated from the competition, but that's why I need to be in the Nexus! I know that won't sound good on my application, but I must inform you that Jackie was my pro and she just happens to be my best friend. We could take care of each other when we're at the shows and since she's already my coach, she's already teaching me how to be a better wrestler. Please, Mr. Barrett! I need this job! My whole life is depending on it!" she begged. Tony was amazed at how nicely spoken that was and figured Kaitlyn must have learned a thing or two from Jackie as well. It was right on time too because Tony hadn't known where to go with this, and now Wade was looking like he was half-considering it. "Very well. As soon as Jackie is ready to come back, I might give you a spot in the Nexus, but until then you be'er train twice as hard if you really want it." Wade demanded, sounding more like his old self again.

Kaitlyn beamed widely and clamped her hands together with excitement. "Thank you, Mr. Barrett! I promise I'll train _three_ times as hard! And by the way, that shirt looks fantastic on you. It really shows off all those sexy muscles. I'd _so_ love to see them! Would you mind taking your shirt off for just one minute?" she babbled energetically. Wade seemed a little flattered as he looked at the girl, and something like a smile was twitching on the corners of his mouth. Tony stared at Kaitlyn, shocked by her comments, but he decided he shouldn't be surprised. Since he met her, he had learned that she is a diligent flirt. "Why, thank you, my dear, but not a chance." Wade was saying, "I charge by the minute and I don't think you can afford me."

Tony's jaw dropped and he let out a baffled laugh. "Was that a joke?" he asked, amused, "Wade just made his first joke!" Tony realized another bonus of having Kaitlyn in the Nexus if she could give even a scrooge like Wade Barrett a sense of humor. Unfortunately it didn't last long. "Enough sass from you, smartarse! We'll talk about this la'er. Now get outta here before I get really mad." Wade demanded, so Tony grabbed Kaitlyn by the wrist and did exactly what his leader had ordered before the guy happens to lose his temper.

The following week, Alex Riley had ill intentions on his mind as he entered the arena for Monday Night Raw. He hadn't liked waking up in a dumpster, saturated in his own blood. It had become a weekly routine for him to show up with a new trick up his sleeve. Every time the Nexus beat him up, Alex couldn't just stand there and let them get away with it. He just had to get revenge. He knew it was risky when he'd hid in Jackie's locker last week, but the temptation was too much to resist, and the thirst for revenge was too strong. The first thing he did once he got inside the locker room, Alex went straight for his mentor's dressing room. The Miz seemed stressed out when he answered the door, still dressed in his street clothes. His Money In The Bank briefcase was sitting in plain view on the seat of a steel chair. "What do you want?" Mike The Miz asked grumpily when he saw it was Alex at his door.

"Ah, c'mon, Mike. What's with the attitude? I just came by to tell you that I've got a big match planned for tonight and I figured you might've wanted to be my tag team partner." Alex explained, letting himself into Miz's dressing room without asking permission. Mike frowned at him in disbelief. "I didn't invite you in here. I have to get ready. I don't have time for your stupid match. I think I may have an idea as to the participants of this match. Don't think I haven't heard about all the stunts you've been pulling on the Nexus for the last few weeks. Everybody in the locker room is talking about it. They all think you're crazy, and so do I. Are you trying to sign a death wish? Anyway, I'm not getting involved in any of your dumb ideas. I've got better things to do, like plan on when I'm gonna cash in my contract." Mike seemed like he was dismissing Alex, but instead Alex saw that as the opportunity he needed to change his pro's mind.

"Listen, Boss, not that I'm the veteran here or anything, but it doesn't seem like a good idea to do that any time soon. In case you haven't been listening, Wade Barrett has got his eyes on the WWE Champion, and if he beats Randy Orton, you'll have to face Barrett for the title! I'm sure you don't want that because the Nexus is sure to interfere, but I have the perfect solution. The Nexus has one thing going for them and that's strength in numbers. They seem to be getting stronger by the week! What we need to do is weaken them by taking them out one by one. Join me in my campaign. I can't do it all by myself, but you can help me even the odds. We can start tonight by taking out two of them in a tag team match. As soon as we're down to only Barrett, the WWE Championship will be easy pickings for you." Alex grinned the entire time he laid out his plan, and Mike was soon grinning as well. It seemed as if he might like the sound of Alex's plan.

"I had no idea you could be so ambitious, Riley. I'm impressed. That idea is so good it's like _I _thought of it. As crazy as it sounds it might actually work. Maybe, just maybe, there might be some hope for you yet. Tell you what, why don't you go get changed into your gear and then we'll go over some strategies?" said Mike, slapping Alex on the back condolingly. Alex was grinning triumphantly. "Awesome! I'll be back in twenty minutes!" he said and then bolted out the door.

In the meantime, the members that were in attendance inside the Nexus dressing room were fully aware of the absence of Jackie. The atmosphere was noticeably different according to the behavior of the other members. Even though Tony had only spent a few short weeks as a part of the Nexus, he had learned his teammates well enough to notice the difference in each and every one of them. Normally Husky and Mike were having a friendly debate or making jokes at each other, but they were unusually quiet as they changed into their gear. Normally David was torturing Tony like a drill sergeant, demanding a ridiculous amount of push-ups from him, but tonight he was sitting quietly by his locker and staring distractedly into space as he did his routine of bicep curls. Justin and Heath were just as silent, looking a little slumped in their chairs as they absentmindedly buffed their championship titles. But the person who showed to be the most effected was Wade Barrett. He was in the foulest mood Tony had ever seen him, flying off the handle at the slightest thing and snapping at everyone who crossed his path even if they hadn't done anything wrong. Tony was glad their leader was currently locked in his office as usual and was avoiding everyone. It was a good thing that Wade wasn't around at this moment because his mood was adding to the grief in the atmosphere.

As Tony glanced across the room to eye Heath, he could see that Wade's absence helped a little because Heath was looking pained as it is. Tony remembered how badly Heath had taken the news about Jackie's taking a leave of absence the week before and could see how he was still bothered by it. Tony walked over to the Tag Team Champions and started a casual conversation. "Hey, guys. What's new?" he asked. Justin looked at him and answered, "Hey, Tony. We just found out we're defending our titles tonight in a Fatal Fourway Match. I hate to say this but, perhaps it's a good thing your sister took the night off. That makes Husky and Mike free to watch our backs and even the odds against those vindictive WWE Superstars."

Tony nodded in agreement. He felt fully responsible for all the strife Jackie, and everyone in the Nexus, has endured because of Alex Riley who was only meddling with them because Tony had been inducted into the group. Justin was right about it being a good thing that Jackie was taking some time off. Then no one would have to worry about her while they figured out what they were going to do about Riley. She would be safe until they could finally exterminate him for good. "So, Heath, speaking of Jackie, have you heard from her lately? How's she doing, by the way?" asked Tony. Bringing up the subject of Jackie seemed to wound Heath. His facial expression made it obvious how much it hurt him to talk about her, and Tony could understand why he would be upset that Jackie wasn't here but he thought Heath was overreacting just a little. Wouldn't Heath too want Jackie to be safe?

"Uh, she's fine." Heath replied in short, as if he'd actually heard from her. Even though it had been a week, he still hadn't received a single phone call, but he didn't want to admit that to his friends. "Well that's good. Hopefully she'll have a speedy recovery. The sooner she can come back, the better. I've been here only an hour and already I don't think I can take anymore of Wade's temper." said Tony. Not comfortable with the topic of conversation, Heath changed the subject. "Yeah. Uh, listen, Tony. There's something I've been meaning to mention for awhile. Don't take this the wrong way but, ever thought about getting a new look? I mean, you wear those boring plain black leotards every week, with no designs or nothing. Haven't you noticed that everybody in the Nexus is wearing something flashy to get people's attention?"

Now that Tony thought about it, he realized that Heath is right. Looking around the room, he could see exactly what Heath is talking about. David Otunga always wore uniquely patterned trunks. Justin's trunks were shiny and Heath's trunks were sparkly. Mike has cool designs on his brightly colored trunks, and Husky had his flamboyant cowboy boots. Tony could picture Jackie's ring attire, loaded with sparkling gems and glitter. He realized he was way overdue for a new look. "Thanks for the advice, bro. I'll definitely be thinking about it." said Tony, then looked at the clock. He couldn't believe it was only seven thirty. Time seemed to be dragging. "Man, I can't decide if this is good or not. On one hand it's nice and quiet in here, but on the other hand it's awfully boring. I could almost wish Alex Riley would mess with me tonight just so I have something to do. I don't even have a match scheduled!" Tony complained. "You better watch what you wish for, Tony. You just might get it." warned Justin, and little did Tony know, he was right.

Later that night, after the show got started, the ring was invaded by Alex Riley, wielding a microphone and a mischievous gleam in his eye. It was no surprise that he was here to pick a fight with Hardcore Tony. "As everyone is fully aware, I'm sure, I have been having a rivalry with a certain NXT rookie named Hardcore Tony, but you might know him by the name of Bones. From the moment I first saw that scrawny little snot, I didn't like him. He just plain annoys me. I mean, can you blame me if I wanna steal his knee pads or stuff him in his locker? He's a nuisance in the WWE, so I took it upon myself to make his life so miserable here that he would be forced to leave. Well, it seems as if my plan backfired. Now he thinks he's safe because he's Nexus where he sticks out like a sore thumb! It's obvious he doesn't fit in. He looks so puny standing next to Wade Barrett that I just can't stop laughing at him. The little coward can't even face me one-on-one because he knows I'd whoop him. So that's why I'm out here now, to issue a challenge to a tag team match tonight! Since he's too scared to face me alone, maybe he'll take me on with a partner in his corner. What d'ya say, Bones? You and a partner of your choice versus me... and a tag team partner of my choice."

The mischievous gleam in his eye was now progressed into an evil glint, and his smug grin grew when he heard the Nexus theme music come onto the speakers. Tony appeared at the top of the ramp and he asked to cut the music as he glared down at his rival. "You know, Riley, your stories are so entertaining you should have your own reality show. You're hilarious, but you get boring in a hurry. At least that's the way I feel. That's why I came out here, to shut you the hell up! I accept your challenge. I don't care who you get for a partner, and there's no need for me to tell you who I choose because you know he'll be from within the Nexus. You couldn't find someone more dominant than any one of the Nexus members I decide to pick. I'll see you later tonight, Dumbo!" said Hardcore Tony, referring to Riley's large ears which stood out away from his head, and then walked off the stage even though Alex was throwing comeback insults at him from the ring.

The tag team match between Team Riley and Team Tony was about to start. Tony's choice for his tag team partner had naturally been his personal trainer, David Otunga. The team looked like yin and yang as they descended the ramp toward the ring, Tony tall and lanky, Otunga short and stout, but that just proved that they were the perfect team. Where one lacked, the other compensated. They stood in the middle of the ring, facing the stage as they awaited their opponents, stretching their arms and legs in preparation. The theme music changed and Alex Riley appeared on the stage, fully dressed in his gear and carrying a microphone. He was smirking and shaking his head in disappointment. "Bony, Bony, Bony!" he said in ridicule as the music died down, "David Otunga? Really?" He paused to laugh. "You think he might've been a wise investment for tonight's match, but your pick can't compare to mine because my partner is _awesome _!" Riley announced as his theme music began to play again. "I came to play, there's a price to pay! Time for you to get down on your knees and pray!"

The Miz emerged from backstage, complete with awesome-looking trunks, fauxhawk and all. He was even carrying his red Money In The Bank briefcase, although it was badly damaged, displaying several dents and most of the paint had been scratched off around the edges. The Miz had been using it as a weapon since he won that ladder match this past summer and he was definitely getting his money worth. Tony had a feeling he could possibly get a taste of that briefcase tonight, but he kept on a stony face as his opponents entered the ring. Team Riley maintained their arrogant air as the ring announcer made the introductions to the match, but it appeared that the team should be called Team Miz. The veteran wrestler definitely held a more dominant manner as he coached his rookie in their corner.

The match started out with Hardcore Tony and Alex Riley in a lockup. Usually in this kind of contest, Riley would overpower Tony, but he noticed that he was starting to struggle a little bit. He was confused as to why this was happening. Tony seemed a little stronger than Riley remembered. Tony was maneuvering Riley backwards and into the corner where Otunga was standing. Tony pressed Riley's back against the turnbuckles and David wrapped one of his bulging biceps around Riley's neck to choke him. The referee was demanding Otunga to release the competitor and threatened to disqualify him, but David hung on. The referee began to count, but Otunga let Riley go at the count of four. Tony tagged in Otunga and together they pushed Riley against the ropes, and on the rebound, Alex got a double clothesline. The Miz was shouting lividly from his corner as Riley began getting pummeled with kicks by Team Nexus. The referee demanded order and tried pushing Tony back into his corner.

Once Tony was back on the apron, David was helping Riley up to his feet only to power bomb him back onto the canvas. The beating continued, going back and forth between Tony and Otunga who tagged each other in and out regularly so they could spend more time pummeling Riley in the Nexus' corner. Tony had learned this strategy from Heath and Justin who have used this method to successfully retain their Tag Team Titles again and again. Alex was in a desperate need for a tag, but the Nexus seemed to cut the ring in half and never allowed him anywhere near The Miz. After about seven minutes of brutality, Alex seemed ready to collapse. Covered in a sheen of sweat, Tony and David decided they'd had enough fun and planned to end this at last. Otunga applied his finisher on Riley, a standing power slam, and then tagged in Tony.

Now that Tony was a lot stronger, he had changed his finisher to something more powerful, and he hooked Riley's arm and flipped him over to an upside down position on Tony's back. He had a neck-breaker piledriver in mind, but before he could drop his opponent, The Miz was rushing into the ring with his briefcase and rammed it into Tony's midsection. The blow made Tony release Alex who rolled safely into a ball in the opposite corner of the ring. As Tony bent over in pain, The Miz brought down the metal briefcase over Tony's head, knocking him to the canvas. Otunga rushed into the ring only to get the corner of the briefcase thrust into his face. The Miz took turns pummeling the two fallen Nexus members until he noticed more Nexus members were racing to the ring to try to stop him. "To hell with this!" Miz exclaimed, deciding it wasn't worth risking life and limb for a moron like Alex Riley who had gotten him here in the first place. The Miz snatched the briefcase from the ground and hightailed it out of the ring, escaping through the crowd just as the rest of the Nexus made it inside the ring.

Now that Riley had been abandoned and left vulnerable in the ring, he fell to the hands of the Nexus. While Husky and Mike pulled Alex to an upright position, Heath and Justin rummaged under the ring for a wooden table. They precariously set it up inside the ring and then the four of them all grabbed a limb to lift up Riley and smash him through the table. Tony and David were helped out of the ring and then the Nexus left Alex Riley lying in a pile of splintered debris.

As the weeks went on, the rivalry continued. It grew more intense the longer it went on. Alex Riley had been furious about his treatment the night he had issued his mystery partner tag team match and called Tony a coward in front of everyone. He made excuses that Tony had beaten him because he had all the Nexus members there to help him and had bragged that Tony would never beat Alex Riley in one-on-one combat.

One night, Tony was changing into his ring attire when he realized something that had never happened before. As he tugged on his Nexus armband, it was feeling really tight. He had been expanding it at least once a weak now and he smiled to himself, feeling accomplished. He remembered when the band had been loose on him, and now it fit just right. He decided it was just about that time to finish off Alex Riley for good. It was the night after Survivor Series and Tony was the first to announce a match scheduled for the next pay-per-view set for December. He interrupted a match between Ted DiBiase Jr. and John Morrison just so he could issue his challenge. Tony rushed the ring, tossing Morrison and DiBiase over the ropes to clear the stage. He demanded a microphone and was quickly handed one by the ring announcer. "I've decided I've heard enough of your bullshit, Riley! I wanna settle this once and for all. You think I'm a coward, but I think you're the one who's scared! You're a bully, and what bullies do is take advantage of people smaller than them because they're insecure about themselves. Well, I'm not smaller than you anymore, Riley! In case you haven't noticed, I've been working out lately. If you don't believe me, check this out!"

Tony paused and curled his bicep to display it's new bulk. It bulged nicely with a chiseled cut on the triceps. Some euphoric shrieks came from a few teenage girls in the crowd and Tony grinned egotistically as he continued his speech. "So, Riley, if you're not too scared, you'll accept my challenge for the pay-per-view in four weeks. I hear the event is gonna be called Pay Back, and what an appropriate title, if I do say so myself because that's exactly what I'm gonna get. I know this for a fact because I'm ordering this match to be an Extreme Rules Match, and in this match I am going to rip you apart. After I get done with you, you'll know the true meaning of pay back, and I guarantee that you'll never meddle in my affairs ever again. Either you'll be too scared to do so, or you'll be too paralyzed from the neck down. It'll be one or the other. Now, if my words haven't intimidated you too bad, do you accept?"

It only took a moment for Riley to show his face, but it wasn't a face of intimidation he was showing. He was smirking and laughing with ridicule and disbelief. "You talk a lot of smack, old Bones, old enemy of mine. You know, you got a pretty good idea there. I'm growing tired of this rivalry myself and I'd like to finish this once and for all too. Extreme Rules sounds like it should get the job done. You're on, Bones!" Alex accepted, and arrogantly strutted off the stage.

It was apparent that Tony was only growing stronger with each week that went by, but on the other hand, Heath had seemed to be deteriorating. He has been committing small errors during matches lately, and his last match with Justin earlier tonight had been the worst of all. They almost lost the match when Heath fell to the World's Strongest Slam delivered by Mark Henry, but Justin broke the pin just in time. Heath managed to make the tag and Justin came in with a flurry of kicks. His ambush subdued Henry enough for Justin to apply the 450 Splash and end the match.

Tony had witnessed it all on the monitor backstage and began to worry about his friend Heath. He met the champions at the entrance tunnel as they came back from their match. Tony was shocked to see the condition Heath seemed to be in. His face was pink and sweaty and his hair was in an unruly mess. His trunks were crooked and his boot laces were untied and hanging loosely. His title looked like it hadn't been polished in weeks. It was covered in fingerprints and smudges. It wasn't like Heath to carry himself this way and Tony wondered what the problem was. He thought he might have an inkling as to what Heath was bugged about. He pulled him aside and asked if he could have a minute of his time. Heath seemed disinterested as he listened, but Tony went on anyway. "Listen, Heath, I hate to bring this up right now, but I've been trying to get in touch with my sister and she seems to not want to talk to me. I was hoping you could fill me in on her status. Has she said anything to you about coming back anytime soon?"

A flash of uneasiness crossed Heath's face but it was gone so quickly that Tony thought he might have imagined it. "She hasn't said a word to me about it." said Heath, and Tony could hear a trace of emotion in his voice. "Are you gonna call her tonight? If you talk to her, why don't you just ask her? We'd all like to know, not just me." Tony baited. "Uh!" said Heath, struggling to maintain composure, "Uhm, I guess I could." It was obvious to Tony that something was amiss and he suspected there hadn't been much contact between Heath and Jackie in the past few weeks. "You haven't called her at all, have you?" Tony asked carefully, and he could tell Heath was beginning to break down. He shook his head sadly. "She asked me not to. I promised I'd let her call me first." he admitted finally. "And has she called you?" asked Tony, suspecting that she hadn't. Heath's behavior was starting to make sense now. That single question was Heath's undoing. He was gripping his hair as he confessed.

"She won't call me! It's like she just disappeared off the planet! We used to talk every day! I said I never called her, but I did! I call her every day but she won't answer the phone! I leave messages but she won't return my calls! I don't understand it!" Heath raved frantically, pacing the floor like a caged lion. Tony felt bad for the guy. "Exactly when was the last time you talked to her?" he asked, afraid he already knew the answer. Heath was clutching his title as if for security. "It was the last night she was on Raw, when Riley hid in her dressing room. That was weeks ago! I figured she would be over it by now!" It was at this moment Tony realized that Heath must care about Jackie a lot more than he'd given him credit for. All this time he thought Jackie had been the one who was more into the relationship, but now Tony knew Heath was more serious than he thought. The guy looked like he was about to lose his mind, and it's only been four weeks!

Tony knew there was something he could do about Heath's dilemma. If Jackie wouldn't return Heath's calls, Tony was going to have to make her. He clamped a hand on his shoulder and said, "Don't worry, bro. I have a feeling she'll be calling you real soon." Heath looked at Tony with hope, though he didn't sound cheered in the very least. "You really think so?" he asked. Tony nodded reassuringly. "I've known my sister my whole life, and if I didn't know better, I bet she's thinking about calling you right now. I'd put my money on her calling you before November's over." Heath's distress didn't seem to be appeased at all, but he acted a little calmer after Tony's speculation. Tony didn't revive the subject as they walked back to the dressing room. He didn't want to make any promises to Heath that he wasn't sure he was able to keep.

The wrestlers were given a holiday break to celebrate Thanksgiving, and Tony was glad to be heading back over to Chicago. He hadn't been home for months and he wasn't only anxious to chow down on his mother's homemade roasted turkey, mashed potatoes, and pumpkin pie. After he'd had that talk with Heath at Monday Night Raw a couple weeks ago, Tony had gone to his hotel room and called Jackie. She hadn't answered the first few times he tried, but he kept calling her back consistently until she finally picked up. She wasn't happy that he was hounding her and said as much, but Tony said it was important. He reminded her that Mom was cooking Thanksgiving dinner, of course, and he was making sure that Jackie was planning on showing up. She announced that she couldn't make it. She made excuses about being on a diet and she couldn't eat much anyway, and she was still getting over a cold and didn't want to spread it around, but Tony knew it was all a ploy. He couldn't believe he actually talked her into agreeing to come, but now that he was parking in front of the house he and his sister grew up in, he was starting to have doubts. Maybe she just told him she'd come so he'd shut up and leave her alone.

The food and family distracted Tony from his worries for most of the evening, and he forgot about Jackie for awhile. That lasted until suddenly she arrived. He was surprised but not displeased to see her, but he was concerned the minute he noticed her sickly appearance. She was looking a lot thinner than the last time he saw her and her complexion was noticeably paler than normal. He could see that she was struggling from the separation as badly as Heath is, and Tony wanted to talk to her about it immediately but he knew that would be a bad idea. He would have to wait for the right moment to bring it up.

It had been a typical holiday dinner with lots of laughs and eating and talking, but Tony noticed that Jackie wasn't her usual happy, funny self. She kept mostly to herself, and remained quiet for most of the dinner. When the family said grace at the table, everyone had something to say, but Jackie couldn't think of anything to be thankful for. She picked at the food on her plate, barely eating much of it, and seemed to withdraw progressively more throughout the night. Tony waited until after dessert to finally breech the subject about the problem at hand. Jackie was sitting slumped on the couch and watching the Bears coverage on ESPN when Tony approached her.

"Hey, how's it goin', sis?" he asked casually as he joined her on the couch. She stared back at him with glassy eyes, seeming lost in deep thought, but she did well to act as if nothing was bothering her. "It's goin'." was all she said though. "How's the concussion? You think you'll be a hundred percent before Christmas?" Tony asked. Jackie shrugged uncaringly. "I dunno. Maybe." she answered in short. "Well I hope so, 'cuz Wade's been unbearable since you left. He's a grouch as it is, but he's extra pissed now 'cuz he's waiting for you to come back before he can launch his plan to become WWE Champion. You know how impatient he is." said Tony. Jackie nodded without responding. Tony felt like he was getting nowhere. He had to get something going here. "So, I talked to Heath the other day. He doesn't look too good. You should send him a get well card or something. I think he'd appreciate that." Tony connived. He knew he'd struck a chord when he saw the look of concern on his sister's face. It had looked like she wasn't really listening before, but now she was completely at attention.

"Wait, say that again? He's sick? How bad is it?" she asked, showing the most emotion she'd had all day. Tony feigned surprise. "You mean you didn't know? Didn't he tell you?" he asked ignorantly. Jackie was looking guilty as she replied, "Well, I must be honest and admit I haven't really spoken to him in awhile." Tony acted as if this was new to him. "What! I thought you guys were keeping in touch. When _was_ the last time you talked to him?" he asked. Jackie was twiddling her thumbs as she answered. "Well, it's been a few weeks." she admitted honestly. "_Why_?" Tony asked incredulously. Jackie wrapped her arms around her stomach as if speaking the words pained her. "Because there's something I need to tell him the next time I talk to him, but I just can't bring myself to do it. I'm breaking up with him, but I just don't have the nerve to tell him!" she confessed at last.

"_What_!" exclaimed Tony, shocked and baffled, "_Why_?" If Jackie could shrink a little smaller from misery, she must have done it right now. She must feel like every bone in her body was breaking as she answered. "Our relationship is hopeless. It's a miserable wreck. I can't do this to him anymore. It's just not healthy. He would be better off without me. I care about him enough to know when to let go, and he's suffered long enough. I'm just having a rough time building up the courage to call him to let him know." Tony shook his head in bewilderment. He couldn't believe what Jackie was telling him. He had never known her to give up in her entire life, and now she was giving up on something that meant more to her than anything else in her whole world. He couldn't let her go through with it. "No! You can't break up with Heath. I won't let Wade Barrett get in the way of your happiness. Don't give up now, Jack! I promise things will get better soon, I _promise_!" he blurted out desperately, but Jackie seemed doubtful.

"But how can you promise me things will get better? How can things get better?" she asked, longing for some hope that could possibly be left in her seemingly dead-end situation. "I don't know, Jack, but something tells me the winds of change are blowing, as Wade Barrett likes to say. Trust me on this, will you? Do yourself a favor and give Heath a call. He's a wreak and he needs to hear from you. Promise me you won't break up with him." Tony urged. Jackie was quiet for awhile as she thought about it. She believes that Tony has no idea what he's talking about, but all she could do was agree with him. The alternative was to break up with Heath, and she would do just about anything to prevent that from coming about. Finally she nodded in agreement. "Alright, Tony, I'll call him." she said submissively, then added, "And I promise I won't break up with him. I don't think I'd be able to say the words even if I tried anyway."

Tony was nodding as he said, "Well, you can just forget about ever saying the words because you don't need to. It'll be the biggest regret you'll ever have in your life, and I know that for a fact." Jackie could agree with that because she knew it to be completely true. She regretted ever even thinking about breaking up with Heath. She was too madly in love with him to let him go, no matter what kind of resolve she had in her mind. "Thanks for talking some sense into me, Tony. Feel free to beat me over the head a couple times if you want." she said, sounding a little more like the old, spunky Jackie. "That won't be necessary, but you could give me Kaitlyn's phone number as an incentive. You could've at least given it to me before you decided to disappear." Tony complained teasingly. Jackie seemed to be feeling better because she jumped on that immediately.

"You could've gotten it yourself. She was standing right there in front of you. Why didn't you ask her for it? You too chicken?" she teased back. Tony had to smile because he liked seeing the life coming back into his sister, and said, "No, but I wasn't ready to ask her yet. She made it obvious to me that she likes big, muscular dudes, and I hardly fit the bill back then. Now I'm ready." He pulled up his sleeve and flexed his arm to show Jackie exactly what he meant and Jackie's eyes widened in surprise when she saw Tony's new bulk. She had been so upset that she hadn't even noticed that he was looking a little different from the last time she saw him. "Eighteen inches around!" Tony informed her. "Wow! I'm impressed! That's great, Tony! I bet you're strong enough to bully Alex Riley around now." said Jackie proudly.

Tony nodded in agreement and told her all about the match he had planned for Pay Back. The way he described his plans so enthusiastically made Jackie long for the ring again and suddenly she was wishing she had a match for the pay-per-view as well. For the first time in weeks, she was anxious to get back in action. She decided that it was time at last for her to make her return. As she and Tony cracked open a beer and caught up on things, deep in the back of her head, Jackie was making her own plans for the upcoming event. She had made a vow that starting tomorrow morning she was putting herself on a training routine to get her body back in shape. Before long she would be ready to make her return. It was only a matter of time.

Ten days later was the pay-per-view and it couldn't have come soon enough. Every Nexus member was anticipating it for their own reasons, except for Heath who hadn't been anticipating anything lately but a phone call from Jackie. He still hadn't heard from her. Tony was the most excited. He had been ready for this night for a long time and he could hardly contain himself as he changed into his newly designed trunks. He had decided to debut his new look at Pay Back, and it couldn't be more appropriate. Just as he was lacing his new boots, he heard his cell phone ringing from inside his duffel bag that was hanging in his locker. It was his sister calling. He hadn't talked to her since Thanksgiving, and he had been upset with her for not keeping her promise. He could tell she still hadn't contacted Heath just by the glum look on the guy's face. He wasn't going to chew her out about it though. It would be too easy to upset her, and once that happens, she might never call Heath. He answered in a gentle tone. "Jack! Hey, sis, what's the dillio?" he answered, stealing a glance over at Heath who looked so distraught that he hadn't even heard Tony's greeting. He was sitting on a folding chair, his elbows propped on his knees and his face down in his hands, a sad sight.

"Hey, Tony. How are ya, pal? All psyched up for your big match tonight?" Jackie replied. "Yep, been looking forward to this for weeks. Are you gonna be watching?" he asked. "You bet I am. I wouldn't miss it for the world. I'm so excited about it that I made sure I have the best seat in the house so I don't miss a thing. Guess what!" said Jackie, sounding a lot more upbeat than Tony's heard her in weeks. "What?" he asked, involuntarily crossing his fingers. He thought he had an idea as to what his sister was about to tell him. "I'm here in the arena. I couldn't resist. I had to be here tonight. Nexus needs my support, and I think it's high time I cash in my rematch for the Divas Championship, don't you agree?" she announced, almost cheerfully. Tony grinned with delight. "Absolutely! Man, I am so glad to hear you say that. I'll tell all the guys about it and I'm sure they'll have no problem surrounding the ring during your match." he suggested.

"No, wait! Don't tell them anything yet. First I want to tell Heath myself, in person. Will you do me a favor?" asked Jackie. "Of course! I haven't forgotten that I still owe you for the rest of my life. Just ask and I'll do whatever it is." Tony said sincerely. "Well, I haven't spoken to Heath in a long time, and I don't want a lot of eyes poking around when I meet with him. I need to see him before the show gets started. Think you can get him alone so I can have him to myself for a few minutes?" Tony thought what she was going to ask would be something difficult, but this was such a small thing to ask considering what he owed her. "No problem. Just tell me where you want him to find you." he said, ready to work some magic here. He and Jackie spoke for a couple minutes more before he knew what he had to do.

When Tony hung up, he had a determined look on his face as he walked up to Heath. "What's up, Heath? You psyched about the show tonight? You know I am!" he greeted in a friendly manner. Heath was still wearing his street clothes and didn't look psyched about anything. His tag team title was poking out of his duffel bag and looked even dirtier than it did last week. Heath looked at Tony with a glum expression and replied unenthusiastically, "Yeah, sure." Tony was glad that Jackie had finally woke up and decided to come back to wrestling. It couldn't have happened at a better time. Her return was just what Heath needed to break him out of this horrible slump, but it would be their reunion that was going to make the most difference. "Hey, I better go pump up some iron so I'll be all nice and buff for my match. If you're not doin' anything right now, would you mind spottin' me just in case if I decide to overdo it?" he said sneakily. Heath shrugged uncaringly and said, "Yeah, sure." That seemed to be the only words he said anymore, but at least Tony got him out of the locker room and one step closer to Heath's salvation. He tried not to smirk as the two of them stepped out of the dressing room and headed toward what Heath thought was the weight room.

As the guys walked through the hallways, Heath kept his head down and his hands shoved into his jeans pockets. This was the posture he'd adopted over the last few weeks, but this was surely to change soon. Tony tried to make light conversation as they walked. "Hey, thanks for coming along with me. You know, it wouldn't be a bad idea to work out some while you're there. I heard you and Justin are defending your titles tonight, and I'm sure you wanna be in tip top shape." he suggested, but Heath only nodded silently in answer, still keeping his head down. Tony was glad that Jackie's dressing room was right around the bend.

As soon as they turned the corner, Tony quietly fell behind, and Heath was so deep in thought that he didn't notice that Tony wasn't even there anymore. He just kept walking with his head down and his hands in his pockets. He didn't see the other wrestler in the hallway until he almost walked right smack into her. "Oh, excuse m-" he began to apologize until he realized who was standing there. He couldn't believe his eyes as he took in the sight of Jackie dressed in full wrestling gear, glittery skirt, Nexus shirt and armband, boots and all. His eyes brightened up instantly. "Jackie! What are you doing here? Are you making your return tonight?" he asked hopefully, showing the most liveliness he'd had in weeks.

Jackie was smiling bashfully at him as she answered. "Hi, Heath. I meant to call you in advance to tell you, but I figured it'd be better to tell you in person. I'm coming back tonight to finally have my rematch." she informed him. "Yes!" Heath cried out joyously as he swept her up in his arms and crushed her to his chest. "I can't tell you how bad I've been wanting this moment to finally come!" he confessed as he snuggled his face in her hair. Jackie reveled in finally being in his arms again, and squeezed him just as firmly in return. She had thought that she missed him, but didn't know how badly until now. She was glad it was over at last. "I'm sorry, Heath! I didn't mean to stay away so long. Please, forgive me!" she cried emotionally. Heath was rubbing her back vigorously, savoring the feeling of finally having her again and still struggling to believe she was actually there. "There's nothing to forgive. I'm just glad you're back. Just promise you'll never do that again." he demanded.

They moved apart a little so they could look each other in the face but held the embrace. It was the first time both of them had smiled in a long time. "I don't think I'd be able to live through it." Jackie replied, and that last comment shattered Heath's control completely. He dropped his mouth heavily onto hers and kissed her hard. Time seemed to stop for a moment, and then finally the kiss was broken. Their eyes were a little misty as they maintained contact, but the smiles still remained. Eventually, Jackie broke the peaceful silence by announcing, "Well, the show's starting soon and I've got a lot of catching up to do. And look at you! You haven't even changed into your gear yet! We better hustle if we wanna be on our toes tonight. See you out there, honey buns!" This is the Jackie whom Heath knows and loves, and he felt like a different man. Finally he was standing tall and feeling a confidence he hadn't known in a long while. His smile was wide as he answered, "You bet! They didn't name this pay-per-view Pay Back for nothing. It's gonna be the Nexus take-over of a lifetime!" Snickering mischievously and feeling a little giddy, the two of them departed.

The opening match was coming to an end, and Tony made his way over to the stage entrance. He was glad his match is next because if he had to wait one more minute, he was sure to explode. A surprise met him at the curtain when he saw Jackie waiting for him there. Even more surprising was that she had Kaitlyn there with her. He couldn't hide his delight at seeing them. "Hey, ladies! This is a pleasant surprise. Are you here to be my personal valets for my match coming up?" he said, flirtingly in Kaitlyn's direction. He thought she looked remarkable in her black skirt and furry black coat. Jackie answered the question. "As a matter of fact, yes. You don't think I'm gonna return to the ring without any backup, do you? Guess what." Tony had no idea where to start guessing when Kaitlyn unzipped her coat to reveal the Nexus shirt she was wearing underneath. She was beaming at him with those huge eyes and glossy lips, and his heart tripped up a bit. "No way!" Tony exclaimed in disbelief.

"Yes way!" said Jackie, "We're here to represent The Nexus, and we'll be sitting right there at ringside to support you while you beat Alex Riley's face into hamburger meat." Tony was so happy he laughed out loud. "This is great! Oh, man-" he was saying, but he was cut off by the Nexus theme song blasting on the speakers just on the other side of the tunnel. Jackie smiled and said, "Well, there's my cue! Wait right here. You'll know when to come out. Just listen to my speech." With that said, she turned on her heel and disappeared through the curtains.

Every fan in the arena couldn't believe who they were seeing when they saw Jackie appear on center stage with a microphone in her hand. She paused on the top of the stage for a moment to take in the scene. She had missed the hating boos echoing in the rafters, the anti-Nexus signs peppering the crowd, the heat of the lights, everything. It felt good to be back. She came down the ramp with her usual confident gait and climbed into the ring when she got there. The noise coming from the crowd hadn't faded in the least, and Jackie smirked smugly at the crowd because it was feeding her fire.

"Thank you for that lovely welcome! It's so good to be back!" she said into the microphone, laughing mischievously, "I know it's been awhile since you've seen my face in the ring, but my return has come at the most appropriate time. My brother and fellow Nexus member, Hardcore Tony is about to have an Extreme Rules Match which will be the highlight of tonight's event because it will give true meaning to it's name, Pay Back. That's why I chose tonight to be my comeback. I'm here to represent The Nexus as a team and to represent my brother as an individual. Alex Riley is just as much of an enemy to me as he is to H.T. and I'm looking forward to this match-up. Now before we get started, I'd like to inform everyone of our latest development. Due to the nuisances during my matches and in the locker room, Wade Barrett has allowed me to hire one lucky Diva to be my personal assistant. So please give a warm welcome for my very own NXT rookie and the newest member of The Nexus, Kaitlyn!"

The girl stepped out onto the stage, wearing a huge grin on her face and waving the whole trip down the ramp and into the ring. Once she was standing next to Jackie, she dramatically unzipped her coat slowly, keeping it closed until the zipper was all the way down. A barrage of wolf whistles were coming from the first front rows of seats. Then Kaitlyn jerked her coat open to reveal the 'N' on her shirt. She and Jackie laughed hysterically as a collection of boos rang out. Kaitlyn removed her coat completely, showing off the Nexus armband she was wearing. Then Jackie began to announce the match. "Now, the following contest scheduled for one fall is an Extreme Rules Match! Introducing first, from Chicago, Illinois and weighing in at two-hundred and nineteen pounds, representing the Nexus, Hardcore Tony!"

The Nexus music began to play for a third time and then Hardcore Tony appeared on the stage. No one even recognized him as he came down the ramp. His new trunks were made in a bodysuit style, in black, with the sleeves missing. He had yellow flames crawling up his legs and he had the Nexus symbol decorating his chest. He climbed into the ring and flexed both his arms to show off the new bulging build he had. He had a Nexus armband around each of his biceps and they were hanging with a few long pieces of black fringe. Girls were screaming in delight, but the girl who seemed most impressed was Kaitlyn. She came right over to Tony and gave him a big good luck kiss.

It was distraction enough for Alex Riley to come in from behind and hit Tony on the back while he was caught off guard. The music stopped playing abruptly as the bell rang and the girls got out of the ring. Riley tried to take advantage of his strategy of the element of surprise, kicking and punching at Tony while he was down. By instinct, Tony was able to roll away and out of the ring to grab a breather. Alex followed right after him. Tony had been walking away, but he barely took two steps before Riley caught up to him and grabbed him by the arm. Alex yanked Tony toward the ring post and tried to slam his arm into it, but Tony overpowered him and pushed him into the steel. While Riley was trying to recover, Tony pulled up the ring apron to rummage for some weapons. He came up with a steel folding chair. Jackie and Kaitlyn were sitting in the best seats in the house at the announce tables when they witnessed H.T. crack Alex Riley atop the head with that chair. It made a sickening metal thud and dented the chair into misuse. He tossed it down as Riley tumbled onto the mat, disoriented.

While Alex was down, H.T. turned and raced up the ramp to the backstage area. Everyone thought that he might've chickened out, but a few moments later, H.T. reappeared on the stage pushing a shopping cart full of weapons. The crowd was growing lively and the din rose a little with excitement as H.T. came down the ramp with his supplies. He parked the cart right at ringside and chose his first weapon, a crutch. He came towards Alex with evil intentions, but the time it took him to get his stash of ammo gave his rival time to recuperate. Alex was able to wrestle the crutch out of his hands and cracked it across H.T.'s back. The crutch was cracked and useless now as Alex tossed it to the floor and then rummaged through the shopping cart for his own weapon. He found a Stop sign and heaved it out of the cart.

H.T. was turning around as Alex came up with the sign, and he met the big metal weapon on the head. He stumbled back, holding onto the apron for support, his vision a little blurry. Alex came at him again with the sign, but H.T. wasn't too dizzy to see him. He dodged him barely by a hair, and as Alex flew past him, H.T. used the momentum and pushed him toward the ring post. The sign connected with the post and bounced back to smack Riley in the face. H.T. wasted no time and went for more weapons, but as he walked away, Alex grabbed him by the ankle and tripped him down. H.T. was left with all weapons out of reach, and Riley was hooking his legs into a painful submission. In defense, H.T. used the fringe from his armbands to choke Alex until he broke the hold. As Alex crawled away, coughing weakly, H.T. grabbed a trash can from his stash of goodies.

Riley was still reeling from the lack of oxygen when the trash bin was thrust over his head. He was pinned inside the narrow cylinder and was helpless to stop H.T. from using a crowbar to play "Jingle Bells" on the trash can, with Riley in it, as if it were a xylophone. Everyone seemed to enjoy that. H.T. left Riley wrapped in his dented metal envelope to pull out some tables from underneath the ring. He pushed two of them in, one after the other and then climbed into the ring himself. He carefully set up a double-decker in the middle of the ring, then went back to collect Riley. Unfortunately he took too much time setting up the tables, and Riley was waiting for him. He was kneeling alongside the apron so H.T. didn't see him when he hopped through the ropes and out of the ring. Alex greeted him there with a shot to the gut with the lid of the trash can.

H.T. was bending over in pain and Alex pushed him into the ring. He followed him with a guitar that he'd found in the shopping cart. H.T. was on his hands and knees, climbing to his feet as Alex raised up the instrument, but before he could crash it down onto his head, H.T. kicked him in the knee. Alex dropped the guitar as H.T. propelled him against the ropes and DDTed him on the rebound. The double-decker wobbled precariously on the canvas as the ring was rattled with the movement. H.T. retrieved the guitar and plucked a few chords just for fun. "I'll be hooome for Christmaaaas!" he sang loudly in a terrible voice that matched the terrible guitar-playing, but the crowd was enjoying it. Alex was slow to get to his feet, but once he was standing erect, H.T. brought the guitar down on his head, and the broken instrument hung around his neck like a giant, wooden necklace with strings tangled in every direction.

The violence didn't stop there. H.T. went back to his treasure trove of weapons and came back with a cheese grater in which he proceeded to use on Riley's forehead. He didn't stop grating until there was blood on his hands. Only now was Tony feeling like he was catching up to the odds, but there was one thing he wanted to do before he finished this. He had to embarrass Alex Riley the worst he's ever been, and that would be to knock him out. He slid back into the ring and lifted up his opponent from the canvas that was now littered with all kinds of broken weapons, and settled him on the top turnbuckle. He'd never been able to lift a man of Riley's size before, but all those torturous training sessions from David Otunga had paid off. H.T. climbed the ropes in the corner, taking Alex with him. The wrestlers wobbled on the top rope as H.T. set up for the superplex, and the crowd grew anxious, making nervous noises from their seats. Some guys in the front row began chanting, "This is awesome!"

Alex punched H.T. in the ribs, trying to put him off balance, but he tightened his abdomen to take the blows. It was still hurting though and he needed to make his move or else he was screwed. He heaved up his rival, whipping him up with all his strength. Everyone could hear Alex shouting out as he flew over the ring, and he came crashing down through both of the double-decker tables that were still set up in the middle of the ring. It made a sickening sound as the tables splintered into thousands of pieces. Both wrestlers were lying on their backs in the ring, but only H.T. was moving. He had knocked the wind out of himself with that move and he rolled onto his side to try to ease the pressure on his lungs. He was gasping heavily, but at least he wasn't dead. He glanced over at Alex who didn't seem to be faring as well. He was lying motionlessly in the middle of a pile of rubble and debris of all kinds. A referee was kneeling over him to check on him. Riley was breathing, but he was unconscious. The referee called for the bell and informed the ring announcer the decision of this match-up.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the winner of this match as a result of a knock-out, Hardcore Tony!" broadcasted the ring announcer as medics rushed to the ring. Jackie and Kaitlyn were helping Tony to his feet at ringside, and while they celebrated his win and his revenge, the paramedics were putting a neck brace on Alex Riley and easing him onto a stretcher. The Nexus went backstage to meet the rest of the group and congratulate Tony. There was plenty of time before the next match would start because there was a lot of mess to clean up in the ring, including the now reduced Alex Riley.

Soon as the ring was cleared, the next match was announced and it was for the Divas Championship. Melina came down to the ring displaying all confidence and asked for a microphone. "I haven't been informed as to who my opponent is, but whoever winds up walking down that ramp won't be able to beat me. I'm undefeated as champion and undefeated I will remain. I've beaten every Diva in the WWE so there's no one left to surprise me. I'm ready, so come on out!" Melina demanded confidently, but she paled when she heard the music of her challenger. It was The Nexus entrance music. Jackie appeared on the stage with Kaitlyn by her side and spoke into her own microphone. "You thought I was through with surprises for tonight? Silly you! I figured you all knew me better than that. I want my rematch and I want it now!" she announced, dropping the mike and rushing to the ring, Kaitlyn right behind her.

Melina met Jackie with a barrage of fists which were promptly returned. The bell rang and the match began. It was much like the last time the girls faced each other in the ring, but there was one thing different this time. Jackie didn't have to worry about Alex Riley because he was on his way to the hospital right now. She was here with her friend Kaitlyn to watch her back, and the cheers coming from her loyal rookie gave her strength. Even though Jackie was a little rusty from being gone so long, she caught on quickly and used her sheer force to take down Melina. Much like the last match, the champion was squirming out of Jackie's holds, but Jackie always came back with wicked clotheslines or Irish-whips. The momentum grew, and Jackie felt déjà vu as she whipped Melina into the turnbuckles and watched her sink into the corner. Feeling weird all over, she pushed herself forward and lifted Melina up into a fireman's carry. Her heart pumped wildly as she twisted into the face buster and curled into a pin. Her heart was racing when the referee hit the mat for the third time.

When Jackie rose up off the canvas, she could hardly believe she was Divas Champion! She gripped her hair in disbelief as tears streamed down her face. The ref raised her arm in victory and awarded her the championship. Kaitlyn joined her in the ring and hugged her excitedly. More Nexus members were joining them in the ring, and soon everyone was there except Wade Barrett, congratulating her and giving her big hugs. Even H.T. was there. The celebration ended when the next match was announced and it was for the Tag Team Championships. Since the entire group was already at ringside, they stuck around just to intimidate the challengers. They made quick work of the match because the biggest match of the night was soon to come.

As The Nexus continued to celebrate their flawless night of wins, they were suddenly interrupted by the General Manager. The following match was for the WWE Championship, and due to the constant interference by The Nexus, all members were banned from ringside during the contest. If any Nexus member is caught at ringside while the match is in session, he or she will be suspended for thirty days. With much debate and argument, The Nexus slowly cleared the arena. It wasn't until the last member was gone until the match was announced and the challenger, Wade Barrett was introduced.

The entire group of the Nexus were lounging backstage watching the match on the monitor. So far, Wade had done a pretty good job on his own in taking care of the WWE Champion. It doesn't seem like he needed the help of his friends anyway. Being that Barrett currently had the upper hand, the group was relaxed and chatting amiably amongst each other while the match raged on. Tony saw that Heath looked much better than he had when he first arrived at the show tonight, and the title he had resting on his shoulder had been buffed up nicely, a big improvement. Jackie seemed the happiest of all though, showing off her belt proudly every chance she got, and her smile never left her face. Currently she was sitting on Heath's lap and they were snuggling each other freely, the first Tony had ever seen them this open. Things were looking up.

Everyone was so content by the environment that no one was paying attention to the TV monitor. Tony was the only one who saw Barrett get spike DDTed by Orton. The champ dropped down onto the canvas, poised and ready to finish off his opponent. Wade was groggy as he got to his feet but as Randy came in for the RKO, he pushed the ref in between them. Randy ended up hitting the ref instead. Tony saw a door opening and he jumped up in a hurry. Husky saw him trying to slink off and said, "Hey, Tonez, you're not thinking of interfering in the match, are you? Do you really wanna get suspended?" Tony shrugged innocently and said, "Nah, I'm just gettin' a soda. Anybody want anything?" No one did, except Husky. "Yeah, bring me back a soda too, and one of them sandwiches too! Oh, and if there's cookies, I want some of them too." he shouted after Tony who was impatiently retreating down the hall. "I got you!" Tony called back, and then disappeared.

The referee was still out when Tony got there and he slid right into the ring. Wade was looking at him as if he thought he was crazy, but he didn't react as Tony snuck up from behind Randy and clipped him on the knee. He followed it up with his new piledriver finisher and then slipped out of the ring, hoping to disappear before the ref sees him. The shaking of the ring had revived the official and he was using the ropes to get to his feet when he saw Tony slinking around at ringside. The ref glared at him and said, "Hey, you don't belong down here! You're banned! You're outta here!" Tony raised his hands in surrender but it was too late. He would be suspended for the next thirty days. The good thing though was that Wade was taking advantage and had applied his finisher, the Wasteland, on Randy Orton and was going for the pin. Since Tony left without a fuss, the referee went back to the contest to see Wade pinning the champion. He went down for the count and that was the end of Randy Orton's reign as WWE Champion, signifying the beginning of Wade's.

The new champion was being announced as Wade was awarded the title, and he grinned gloatingly as he raised the title over his head for everyone to see. He milked in all the attention he was getting, positive and negative alike, celebrating for an extra few minutes just because he can. No one was going to tell the WWE Champion what to do. Finally when Wade felt like he'd bragged enough, he left center stage listening to a persistent round of loud boos. He leered smugly at the fans as he took his time walking up the ramp. He didn't care how they felt about him as champion or what they thought about how he won the championship. All that matters to him was that he was champion, and he owed a certain someone for his troubles in helping it along a little bit.

The show was over and every member of the Nexus were dressed and ready to leave the arena. The girls were the only ones not present because they were in Jackie's dressing room showering and changing. The atmosphere was filled with arrogant egos considering the way the night turned out. Not only does The Nexus hold most of the titles in the WWE now, Tony would never have to worry about Alex Riley ever again. The boy would have to be a complete fool to harass him after the beating he'd gotten tonight. The chatter in the room stopped when Wade came out of his office, displaying his new WWE Title proudly on his shoulder and requested that Tony meet him for a private talk. Tony felt a little nervous as he stepped into the little room with his leader. Wade seemed to be in a terrific mood for once so Tony relaxed a little as Wade closed the door. "I must say I was a li'le surprised to see you interfere in my match tonight, and you ended up gettin' yourself suspended for your efforts. I have to admit it took a lot of guts to make that sacrifice for me, and I've certainly reaped the benefits for it. I want to thank you for tha', but that's not all. I owe you a debt. Anything you want, just ask, okay? Just keep it within reason." Wade warned.

Tony nodded respectfully and said, "I appreciate the recognition and I definitely accept the offer. There is something I want, but it's not exactly for me. You see, I've already got everything I want, and I got it with the help of a very special person to me. She went out of her way to help me when I was most in need and I'll never be able to pay her back for the rest of my life. There is something you can do to help me make some headway though, if you're really as grateful as you say you are." Wade took a seat on the couch and made himself comfortable. He gestured for Tony to join him. "Have a seat, and tell me more." he replied, and Tony did just that.

It was Christmas Eve, and though this time of year was supposed to bring lots of laughter and cheer, Jackie was still struggling with depression. Though she'd been back in the ring for two weeks now and everything in the Nexus seemed to go back to normal, she was still having issues with one important thing. She turned her head to glance at her new championship title that was sitting on the seat beside her. It had helped her mood a lot becoming the champion at the pay-per-view, but Heath is more important to her than any old belt. She had said she had wanted him for Christmas, with no trials and tribulations, and she had gotten the Divas Championship instead. She would trade the two if she could.

Jackie was driving over to Wade's house in Tampa, Florida for a get-together for Christmas. Only Nexus members would be there, and she was sure there would be a lot of shiny gold straps present at the party. As she made a left at the light, a song came on the radio that she used to love this time of year. She had tuned into an all-holiday tunes station and had been listening to Christmas carols as she made her way to Wade's house. The song currently playing was done by Elvis Presley. "I'll have a blue Christmas without you!" he was singing in his famous, melancholy voice, "I'll be so blue just thinking about you!" The words made Jackie feel the way they sounded, blue, and she fought tears as she thought about how blue her Christmas would assuredly be without Heath. She quickly punched off the radio, not being able to stand anymore, and the interior of the car abruptly fell into silence.

When Jackie arrived at Wade's house, she wasn't surprised to see someone else answer his door. Husky let her in, giving her a big Christmas hug. "Merry Christmas, Husky!" she laughed cheerfully, forgetting about that song for the moment. Spending the evening with her friends would help drive away her depression for a little while. Husky led her through the house, and Jackie gave Christmas hugs to every Nexus member she met as they went along. When she saw Heath, her stomach dropped a little. She thought he looked so handsome even though he was dressed casually in black jeans and a plain black sweatshirt, but his hair looked so radiant from the twinkling lights on the Christmas tree. She smiled bashfully at him and covered it up by making a joke. "I can't believe Wade actually has a tree set up! I'm surprised he'd go through the trouble." she said.

That was when Tony appeared with Kaitlyn hanging on his arm. "Kait and I decorated it. You know how lazy Wade is. Besides, we had fun, didn't we, Kait?" he said, smiling affectionately at his new girlfriend who beamed merrily. "I don't know about you, but I sure did. It was my idea to bring a tree in the first place, so Tony helped me pick one out. Do you really like it, Jackie?" asked Kait. "It's beautiful. I think you have a talent. Maybe you were one of Santa's elves in a past life." Jackie joked. Husky was back carrying a big glass of some milky white stuff. "Would you like some eggnog?" he asked Jackie. "Oh no, thanks. I've never really liked it." she said. "Cool! That means there's more for me!" said Husky and almost drained the glass in one swallow.

As the night went on, the friends entertained themselves with games of blackjack, showing off their titles and sharing stories of their favorite moments inside the ring. Most of the stories were reliving the matches that had happened at Pay Back. Mike and Husky had pinned up a picture of John Cena onto Wade's dart board, and everyone took turns decorating Cena's face with colorful feathered darts. It was nearing midnight when Heath managed to get Jackie alone. He had been watching her all night, longing to go to her and finally make things right in her life. She looked so pretty in that black dress and he could hardly keep his distance for much longer. Jackie was admiring the lights on the tree when Heath came up beside her. No one else was in the room, probably down in Wade's basement playing ping pong or something. They could hear friendly banter coming from below.

Jackie leaned against Heath's body as he hooked an arm around her waist and they gazed at the tree in silence for a moment. The atmosphere was so peaceful and relaxing that neither one wanted to spoil it by speaking, but Heath had come with a purpose, and he didn't want to put it off any longer. He turned toward Jackie. She felt his gaze on her and faced him. He felt his heart thumping in his chest as she smiled at him, felt the blood rushing hot in his ears. "It's almost Christmas. I wonder if Santa Claus will be showing up soon." she joked playfully. Heath was a little nervous, but he pushed himself forward. "I don't think he'll be stopping here. I'm sure Wade's been on the naughty list since January." he added, and Jackie snickered with amusement. Heath laughed along with her but sobered up quickly. "Well, whether Santa comes or not, it can't be Christmas until I give you your present." he proclaimed.

Jackie had been smiling up at him when he made that statement, but now she looked upset. "Oh! You can't give it to me now. My gift for you is at my house because I was planning on giving it to you tomorrow." she said. Heath smiled knowingly and said, "That's okay. I can wait, but I don't wanna wait to give you yours. I'm not sure you're gonna like it so..." He trailed off, watching her eyes for any clue as to what she was thinking. Her expression was glowing. "Heath, I-" she began to say, and she stopped when she felt his hands gently fold over hers. Whenever he was touching her, she couldn't stop him from doing anything. He looked so sinfully handsome with the blinking lights flashing across his face and reflecting in his stormy gray eyes. She lost herself in the moment and everything in her peripheral vision was nonexistent to her.

Suddenly she felt something cold in her hand, and instinct made her want to brush it away. She looked down at her hand to see that Heath was sliding a diamond ring onto her finger. With the colorful lights bouncing off the precious prism encrusted on the band, it made a lovely sight and Jackie gasped in shock. Her eyes, sparkling with fresh tears, came back up to meet his gaze. She couldn't believe this was actually happening, but the look on his face was so sure and so serious that she knew this had to be for real. She choked back a sob and said, "But how can we...? Heath, what would Wade-" Before Jackie could finish, she heard a voice coming from behind them. They had been so intent on each other that they hadn't noticed when Wade came into the room. "Don't worry about me. I've had a change of heart and you have my blessing." he said.

Jackie was staring with bafflement at their leader. "But...?" she whispered, losing her tongue before she could complete the sentence. She was still in shock. "Don't ask. It'll spoil the moment. Now, Heath, you be'er ask her before I change my mind." said Wade, showing a little bit of his true personality. Heath looked back at Jackie, smiling encouragement as he started to ask the question that he'd been dying to ask her all night. "Jackie, will you-" he began, but before he could finish, Jackie wrapped her arms around his shoulders in a crushing squeeze and plunged her mouth over his in a jubilant kiss. It wasn't like her dream exactly, but it was good enough. In fact, it was even better than what she had dreamed because she knew when she woke up it would still be true. She still didn't understand how this had come to be, but there was no point in wondering about it. All that matters is that she and Heath were going to get married!

Jackie and Heath gradually pulled out of the kiss to realize that Wade was still standing right next to them. Jackie's cheeks were blushing a bright pink, but Wade didn't seem to notice. He just nodded his approval and said, "That's be'er! Happy Christmas!" Then he did something Jackie never thought he'd do in a million years. He revealed the sprig of mistletoe he had been hiding in his hand and dangled it over the couple's heads. Jackie wasn't going to miss out on an opportunity like this and leaned back onto Heath to give him the Christmas kiss of a lifetime.

It was growing late. The party had worn out and people were starting to head out. When Husky and Mike started an eggnog chugging contest, Jackie decided that it was time for her to leave as well. Tony and Kaitlyn met Heath and Jackie at the door as they prepared to say their goodnights. Jackie had shown off her ring for the rest of the night and Kaitlyn had cried with happiness for her mentor and exclaimed how beautiful her ring was. Tony was congratulating Heath and telling him he'd be glad to have him in the family. Jackie pulled her brother aside before she left and looked him straight in the face. "I don't know how you made this possible, but thank you! This is the best Christmas I've ever had and it's all because of you. I can't remember when's the last time I actually got what I really asked for. You're even better than Santa!" she replied, hugging her brother tightly as more tears sprang to her eyes. Tony just hugged her in return, feeling like he was only giving her back what he received. She had already given him his Christmas present when she helped him with the Nexus. He was only giving her what she asked for. "Don't mention it." he replied modestly, "I owed you, remember?"

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

THE END!


End file.
